The 2018-2019 NBA season is still in its infancy but we are starting to see how certain teams rotate their lineups, run their offense, and maybe most importantly, how they establish the pace of their offense. Pace is a buzzword that has been dominating the NBA headlines early on, as most teams are pushing the ball up the floor in a more aggressive style than we’ve ever seen before, which is resulting in way more points on the offensive end. NBA bettors who took the Over in the majority of the first week of NBA games likely turned an enormous profit.
As we look ahead to Wednesday’s slate, we have yet another grouping of games with high implied overall totals. I cannot remember the last time we saw almost 80% of the slate’s totals above the 220 marks, but that’s what we have for Wednesday. With so many inflated totals, I am not sure if any game or team is considered off-limits, but here are the specific matchups that I will be targeting.
Check out today’s NBA Shot from FanDuel 
Matchups to Target
Hornets vs. Bulls: Chicago features one of the worst defenses in the league (which just got even worse due to point-guard Kris Dunn‘s injury) and Charlotte features a revamped offense that spreads the ball around on the perimeter. The total has been bet up to 231.5.
The 2018-2019 NBA season is still in its infancy but we are starting to see how certain teams rotate their lineups, run their offense, and maybe most importantly, how they establish the pace of their offense. Pace is a buzzword that has been dominating the NBA headlines early on, as most teams are pushing the ball up the floor in a more aggressive style than we’ve ever seen before, which is resulting in way more points on the offensive end. NBA bettors who took the Over in the majority of the first week of NBA games likely turned an enormous profit.
As we look ahead to Wednesday’s slate, we have yet another grouping of games with high implied overall totals. I cannot remember the last time we saw almost 80% of the slate’s totals above the 220 marks, but that’s what we have for Wednesday. With so many inflated totals, I am not sure if any game or team is considered off-limits, but here are the specific matchups that I will be targeting.
Check out today’s NBA Shot from FanDuel
Matchups to Target
Hornets vs. Bulls: Chicago features one of the worst defenses in the league (which just got even worse due to point-guard Kris Dunn‘s injury) and Charlotte features a revamped offense that spreads the ball around on the perimeter. The total has been bet up to 231.5.
Lakers vs. Phoenix: This will likely demand the majority of my attention on Wednesday night. Los Angeles has shown zero ability to play any defense, and while Phoenix has improved defensively since last season, they are still one of the worst overall defensive units in the league. The suspension of Brandon Ingram and Rajon Rondo allow for some appealing value options on the Lakers side.
Mavericks vs. Hawks: The highest implied total on the slate at 234. It will be interesting to see who wins the individual battle of Luka Doncic versus Trae Young.
Players to Target
LeBron James (LAL): $11,500
This will be my first time targeting LeBron this season. Los Angeles media is clamoring about the fact that the Lakers don’t have a win yet and I think this is an excellent opportunity for them to win their first. With Ingram and Rondo suspended for this contest, more of a burden will fall onto LeBron to carry the offense and he should be able to have his way against a Phoenix defense that is promising but still very raw.
Lonzo Ball (LAL): $7,000
Ball played 30+ minutes in the Lakers loss to the Spurs, which is something I expect once again for tonight with Rondo out. As mentioned previously, I expect this game to be a shootout and will be targeting both sides of this game. Ball should dominate possession when LeBron is not in the game.
Devin Booker (PHX): $8,000
Los Angeles is allowing 53 FanDuel points to opposing shooting guards so I expect Booker to feast tonight. He has the potential to score 30 or more real points in almost any given game and this is as good of a spot as any for him to erupt. His price-point is cheaper than normal as well.
Collin Sexton (CLE): $3,900
We need to spend down somewhere to afford LeBron. Sexton has seen a steady uptick in minutes and usage rate to start the season and is facing off against a porous Nets defense that likes to push the pace offensively. I think a fast-paced game really fits Sexton’s game well, as he has always been a better player when given the opportunity to push the ball downhill.
Derrick Rose (MIN): $4,500
If you don’t want to pay up for Lonzo, I really like Derrick Rose at this price. Rose has dominated usage rate amongst the second-stringers for Minnesota, proving himself as the only viable scoring option on a not-so-deep Minnesota squad. He has exceeded value in three of his past four games, including a 47.5 point performance against Dallas.
Wesley Matthews (DAL): $5,400
Matthews has been a steady contributor for a Dallas team that is both young and inexperienced. He’s averaging nearly 34 minutes per game and he’s facing off against an Atlanta team that is a barren wasteland when it comes to talent. Given the sheer amount of minutes he’s playing on a given night, he is hard to ignore at this price.
Shane Davies is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Shane, check out his archive and follow him @FantasySD1.
