NBA Sleeper Picks Player Predictions (5/17)
Welcome to NBA Sleeper Picks! Sleeper’s newest offering promised plenty of entertainment and action, and they delivered. We will break down our top three picks for tonight's NBA action. Similar to fantasy sports, the goal in Sleeper Picks is to draft a team of players based on who you think will perform better than the field. But with NBA Sleeper Picks, you pick teams of 2-8 players from multiple teams based on your preferences and predict whether those players will score more or less than a predetermined amount. There are a number of ways to play and a variety of strategies to employ, and we’ll guide you through the process each week. Here are our top NBA Sleeper Picks for today’s games.
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NBA Sleeper Picks Player Predictions (5/17/24)
Regular season record: 202-130
Playoff record: 29-34
Tyrese Haliburton (G – IND): OVER 2.5 threes (alt line)
There is no reason for the original total to be at 3.5 tonight after Haliburton took just nine shots in Game 5, with just one of them being a three point make. It does, however, prevent us from getting an ever-so-sweet 1.5 three alt line, so at least there's that. Haliburton has drained four or more threes in three of his last four games. He will, or at least should, be much more aggressive tonight, even if he spends a portion of the night off-ball. Tyrese has taken nine or fewer shots in two of the Pacers' three losses in this series. Expect that fact to be hammered home by teammates, coaches, and media alike. Hit the More on Haliburton for Game 6.
Jalen Brunson (G – NYK): UNDER 8.5 1st quarter points
Brunson has started hot a couple of times in this series but has fallen under nine first quarter points in three of the five games in this series. We all know he is capable of exploding in the first, especially when he is propelling himself towards a 25+ shot night. Brunson scored 10 first quarter points in Game 5 and 10 in Game 1, but managed just 5, 2, and 1 point in Games 2, 3, and 4, respectively. Look for Brunson to look to get his teammates going early in this one as he will need some help if the Knicks are to make good on their opportunity to put the Indiana Pacers away tonight. This could lead to less first quarter volume, which in most instances would be fewer than nine points in the first. Bump the Less on Brunson for Game 6.
Josh Hart (G – NYK): OVER 9.5 points (alt line)
Hart has been more rebounder than scorer in this series but is going to need to contribute in the points department tonight to give the Knicks their best opportunity to close out this series. Hart has scored 10 or more points in four of the five games in this series, but has conversely scored 10 or fewer in two of his last three. The alt line pushes down this total to where probability lies with the More, but it's closer than we would usually include in this column. Hart will hit double figures as long as he expends on some of his aggression on offense. Hit the More on Hart for Game 6.
Writers note: The lines are constantly changing on Sleeper (and sometimes expiring), so there is a high probability that one or all of the numbers may no longer be the same when you open your app. There are excellent values when they are first posted, with the only catch being that they are not all released at the same time. Vigilance could provide a solid return on investment this season, literally.
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Raju Byfield is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Raju, check out his archive and follow him @FantasyContext.