Tuesday's four-game slate features the streaking Nuggets and Nikola Jokic hosting the Blazers. Four game previews, picks and props!

After a nine-game MLK Day NBA marathon things calm down on Tuesday night with just four games. Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo are out, Paul George and Jamal Murray are questionable, and De’Anthony Melton is probable tonight. Let’s take a look at each one. 

The Raptors have won four of their last five games but two of those came against the Hornets and the Raps are just 20-24 on the season, currently out of the playoff picture. But they’re also getting healthy after Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet dealt with injuries earlier in the season. They looked particularly healthy in Monday’s overtime win at New York when FVV went off for 33 points, eight assists and a full stat line and all five starters scored in double figures. They’re also 4-1 against the spread in their last five games and Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) has been ruled out tonight. The Raps still have four games left this week so if you can grab Chris Boucher or Precious Achiuwa in a fantasy league it might make sense. 

The Bucks are 3-3 over their last six but had a convincing win over the Pacers on Monday. Of course, the Pacers were missing their two best players (Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner), which helped. Jrue Holiday went off for 35 points and 11 assists, Bobby Portis had 21 points and 11 rebounds, Brook Lopez scored 19 and Grayson Allen had 17 points, five rebounds, four assists, two steals and three triples. With Giannis set to miss his fourth straight game, rolling Portis or Allen in any format looks like a good idea.

The Oddscrowd algorithm gives the Bucks a 2.1% +EV Edge advantage at -1 but without Giannis and the Raptors healthy, we’re taking the healthy Raptors on the road.

Pick: Raptors +1.5

Prop 1: Grayson Allen over 12.5 points

Prop 2: Scottie Barnes over 26.5 combined points, rebounds and assists

Prop 3: Fred VanVleet over 28.5 combined points, rebounds and assists

The Nets will be without Kevin Durant and are coming off two straight losses to the Celtics and Thunder. Kyrie Irving, who showed up on the injury report this afternoon with calf soreness, hit just 7-of-20 shots for 15 points against OKC and will have to play better tonight, assuming he plays at all. Nicolas Claxton torched them for 17 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks in Sunday’s loss and Royce O’Neale racked up 11 points, 10 rebounds and eight dimes. If Irving is out, Edmond Sumner and Seth Curry will be favorable plays. 

The Spurs have lost five straight and eight of their last nine games as the tank is on. Keldon Johnson, Jakob Poeltl, Tre Jones and Josh Richardson all played well in their last game and Jeremy Sochan is having a decent January, scoring 15 points and grabbing eight rebounds on Sunday. Even with Kyrie iffy the algorithm gives the Nets Moneyline a 2.2% +EV Edge advantage, as well as a 2.1% edge to the Nets -4. 

Pick: Nets -4

Prop 1: Royce O’Neale over 21.5 combined points, rebounds and assists

Prop 2: Ben Simmons over 16.5 combined rebounds and assists

Prop 3: Nicolas Claxton over 9.5 rebounds

The Blazers have won two straight against the Mavericks but will face a tough test against a streaking Nuggets team. Damian Lillard is averaging 37.2 points and 6.4 assists over his last five games and both Jamal Murray and Bones Hyland are dealing with ankle issues, making it even tougher for them to slow him down. Lillard has hit over 40 in points and assists in three straight and had 34 points and eight dimes in their previous meeting. He also got Denver for 40 points and 12 assists back on Dec. 8. 

Murray and Hyland are both questionable tonight for the Nuggets. With its guards iffy, Ish Smith might end up running the show for the Nuggets tonight, making him a decent streaming option in fantasy. They’ve won six straight and eight of their last nine behind the heroics of Nikola Jokic, who’s averaging 20.9 points, 11.3 rebounds, 11.3 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.1 3-pointers this month. Even (possibly) without Murray, the Nuggets are too hot to ignore right now. Top Oddscrowd bettor MarySD like the Nuggets Moneyline and we also like the Nuggets -6.

Pick: Nuggets Moneyline

Prop 1: Damian Lillard over 38.5 combined points and assists

Prop 2: Nikola Jokic over 48.5 combined points, assists and rebounds

Prop 3: Michael Porter Jr. over 16.5 points (16-plus points in five of his last eight games)

The Sixers have won two straight and Joel Embiid has been dominant of late. Embiid had 35 points and 11 rebounds on Sunday and has topped 46 total points and rebounds in three of his last five games. He also torched the Clippers for 44 points and seven boards when these teams met back on Dec. 23. De’Anthony Melton is sick but is expected to try to play tonight.

The Clippers have won two of their last three games but have also lost seven of their last nine. Paul George is questionable with his hamstring injury and if he’s out this will be his sixth straight missed game. Terance Mann went off for 31 points, six rebounds, four assists and five 3-pointers against the Rockets on Sunday, making him worth a fantasy look tonight if George is out again. Mann has scored in double figures in five of his last six games but will surely cool off a little tonight.

Pick: Sixers +1.5

Prop 1: Joel Embiid over 42.5 points and rebounds

Prop 2: James Harden over 20.5 points

Prop 3: James Harden over 2.5 3-pointers (he’s hit at least four in three straight games and at least three in five of his last six).