Having a day off yesterday was strange. We’ve been getting basketball every day for six months now and to have a night off with all this tension was a bizarre feeling. In any case, it gave us some time to recharge our batteries and get ready for this final month of basketball!

They always say that a series never starts until a road team wins. That means neither of these series has started yet, with Phoenix and Miami both up 2-0. It looks like those two teams could run away with those conference semis, but we need to wait to see what happens here. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the odds!

Schedule and Odds

MIA at PHI (PHI -2) O/U: 210
This series has been non-competitive thus far. Miami controlled both of their home games, and it’s up to Philly to hold serve down 2-0.

PHX at DAL (PHX -1) O/U: 219
Phoenix took care of business in the first two games of this series, leading 2-0. They now have 11 straight wins over Dallas in total.

Check out our consensus game odds as well as the odds from each sportsbook at BettingPros

Injury Report

• Kyle Lowry (hamstring) Questionable
• Joel Embiid (face) Doubtful
• Tim Hardaway Jr.(foot) OUT
• Tyler Herro (ankle) Questionable
• P.J. Tucker (calf) Questionable
• Gabe Vincent (knee) Questionable
• Max Strus (hamstring) Questionable

Core Plays

Tobias Harris (C – PHI): $7,300 DraftKings, $8,000 FanDuel
We thought Harden would be the main benefactor in the absence of Embiid, but it’s been Harris. It was actually Toby in the regular season, averaging nearly 40 DraftKings points per game when the big man was out. It’s easy to understand why, with Harris seeing an increase in minutes, usage, and shot attempts in his absence. That’s certainly been the case in the first two games of this series, scoring at least 37 DK points in both of them.

Bam Adebayo (C – MIA): $8,100 DraftKings, $8,500 FanDuel
Bam has been feasting in this series on both ends of the floor, and it should continue. The big man has at least 44 DK points in both games of this series, doing that damage on just 24 combined shots. No one on this Philly roster can cover Bam with Embiid out of the lineup, and Miami is going to keep exploiting this outstanding matchup as long as Joel remains out.

Cash Game Considerations

Luka Doncic (PG – DAL): $11,600 DraftKings, $11,500 FanDuel
It’s silly to fade Luka at this point. Dallas has been getting demolished in this series, but Doncic is doing everything possible to keep them hanging around. In the first two games of this series, Luka has collected 80 points, 17 rebounds, and 15 assists! That’s a good two weeks for most players, but it’s far from surprising with Doncic scoring at least 53 DK points on 14 straight games. This is also a must-win game for Dallas, and you know Luka will take 30 shots and play 40 minutes!

Chris Paul (PG – PHX): $8,300 DraftKings, $9,700 FanDuel
CP3 has earned the nickname The Point God, and he’s showing why in these playoffs. The future Hall-of-Famer has at least 43 DraftKings points in seven of his last nine games, shooting nearly 60 percent from the field in that span. The simple fact is, this guy is abusing the matchup with Luka and getting whatever he wants on the offensive end of the floor. His recent form is even more ridiculous, scoring at least 52 fantasy points in three of his last four games.

GPP Targets

Deandre Ayton (C – PHX): $7,600 DraftKings, $7,400 FanDuel
Ayton was a non-factor in Game 2, but that’s how the game worked out. Chris Paul and Devin Booker combined for 58 points on 22-of-35 from the field, and they simply didn’t need anything from their big man. That’s not going to be the case every night, though, with Deandre posting a 41-point average across his previous nine games. He’s more likely to do that than post the dud we saw on Wednesday, and the small price drop makes him one of the most enticing GPP plays on the board.

Reggie Bullock (SG – DAL): $5,400 DraftKings, $5,400 FanDuel
Bullock was the only player who helped Luka in Game 2. He had 16 points and four rebounds across 36 minutes of play. Those 36 minutes are what we care about, with Reggie averaging 25 DK points per game across 41 minutes a night over the last seven games. That means Bullock won’t come off the floor much in this critical Game 3, which we love since spot-up shooters traditionally play better at home. In that same span, Bullock is averaging 28 DK points per game at home. Good luck finding that from another player in this price range!

Value Plays

Victor Oladipo (SG – MIA): $4,800 DraftKings, $4,200 FanDuel
People forget that Oladipo was an All-Star not too long ago. Injuries have derailed his career, but he’s looking fully healthy right now. Oladipo has played at least 27 minutes in five of his last six games, averaging 32 DraftKings points per game in that span. That’s a ridiculous total from such a cheap player, and it’s becoming clear that Miami was waiting to unleash this guy in the postseason.

Jae Crowder (SF/PF – PHX): $5,000 DraftKings, $4,900 FanDuel
We had Crowder in this section on Wednesday, and we’re going right back to the well. The feisty forward provided 15 points, seven rebounds, and three assists in that gem, playing some elite defense. That’s almost the exact same line he posted in Game 1, and it’s clear that Crowder is a bit underpriced right now. If you want to use studs like Embiid and Luka, you need to save some salary with a guy like Crowder.

Advantageous Pricing

• Tobias Harris (C – PHI): $7,300 DraftKings, $8,000 FanDuel
• Chris Paul (PG – PHX): $8,300 DraftKings, $9,700 FanDuel
• Victor Oladipo (SG – MIA): $4,800 DraftKings, $4,200 FanDuel
• Jimmy Butler (SF/PF – MIA): $9,300 DraftKings, $10,200 FanDuel
• Spencer Dinwiddie (PG/SG – DAL): $5,200 DraftKings, $4,600 FanDuel

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