Big Wednesday on ESPN

Ready to have some fun with DraftKings? The NBA schedule, and ESPN are ready for you to bet ‘em up if you so choose.

ESPN has two interesting matchups on tap on Wednesday, the penultimate day of NBA games before The Big Shutdown, The Time of Desolation, The Mini-Vacation, also known as NBA All-Star Weekend and the dreaded All Star Break.

76ers vs Cavaliers 6:30PM CST

The first game on tap brings us once, (and future?) Rocket James Harden and his rootin’, tootin’, 3pt shootin’, Philadelphia 76ers against the Cleveland Cavaliers. (6:30 CST ESPN)

I think James is looking a little more spry lately (though that could well be an artifact of the Rockets so-called perimeter defense). So let’s make a hypothetical wager that he will make more than 2.5 three pointers against Cleveland. Cleveland has great defensive bigs, but not great defensive guards (though Mitchell, by simply trying harder is a better defender than he was last season in Utah). I think this means Harden will shoot it more from deep, and his form looked better last night, though he was pretty open as well. Who really knows? That’s why it’s called gambling.

So the bet suggestion is: James Harden OVER 2.5 made 3 point attempts at +105. A $10 bet will win you $20.50 (including stake).

The bets: Celtics -4.5 and Embiid over 1.5 three pointers made

Lakers vs Pelicans 9PM CST

The later game, with more reasonable times if you live on the West Coast features the New Orleans Pelicans versus the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers will likely see the return of Lebron James for one game before the All-Star festivities, after he sort of tuckered himself out breaking the scoring record. The newish-look Lakers will battle the Pelicans, who by the waters of the Mississippi lay down and wept, as they remembered Zion won’t be joining them after the All Star break, and may not be rejoining them at all. Williamson had a major setback in his rehab. He’s an amazing, spectacular, player, but his body seems unable to handle the strain of so much power and weight combined.

The Lakers are favored to win this one, by a hair, and they need it, so let’s be contrary, and bet the Pelicans to win. The Lakers always seem to get a lot of bets placed on them to win, so let’s go against the grain with NOLA.

The DraftKings odds at the time of writing are +128, so a Pelicans win on a $10 bet brings you $22.80 (including stake).

The bet: Pelicans +128

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