Division foes face off on TNT

The Houston Rockets aren’t playing tonight, but there’s a fun doubleheader on TNT. First up, the Dallas Mavericks take on the New Orleans Pelicans. For the nightcap, the Golden State Warriors head to Phoenix to play the Suns.

And what better way to enjoy games that don’t include the Rockets than to have some fun with DraftKings?

The first game of the doubleheader features Southwest Divsion foes. The Dallas Mavericks are coming off a Western Conference Finals appearance. The New Orleans Pelicans have come into the season as a chic pick to make noise in the playoffs, but will be without Brandon Ingram (concussion protocol) and possibly Zion Williamson (hip contusion) for a while.

As a result of those injuries, Dallas is favored by 4.5 points in this contest. That feels ripe for the taking, as New Orleans does not have the offense to hang with Luka Doncic, Christian Wood, and co. If you’re looking for a futures bet, Dallas gives decent value (+165) to win the Southwest Division as many think that Memphis will repeat. New Orleans at +300 could be worth a look as well.

Phoenix and Golden State are both 2-1 on the young season. Tonight marks Golden State’s first road game. The major players appear to be healthy and ready for this game.

With that being said, the Warriors are getting 1.5 points (+1.5), which means that Las Vegas believe that the Suns will win by 1 or 2 points. If you take the points, you win your bet even if the Warriors lose by 1 (or if the Warriors win outright, of course). In order to win a Suns -1.5 bet, you need Phoenix to win by 2 or more points.

I could see either team blowing out the other in this game, which makes it a scary proposition with the moneyline. Therefore, a more tasty alternative could be picking a player prop bet. Chris Paul hasn’t scored more than 10 points in a game yet this season, but his over/under for points is 13.5. The under gets a little less bang for your buck (-120), but feels like a sharp bet. Meanwhile, DeAndre Ayton has scored above his over/under (17.5 points) twice this season, and will look to score against an undersized Warriors front. Again, the over suffers from the vig (-115). If you want something in the non-points department, Andrew Wiggins over 6.5 boards (+110) and Klay Thompson over 2.5 triples (-130) should be live throughout.

DraftKings Sportsbook, the official sportsbook partner of SB Nation.