A Look at Who Bettors Are Backing in NFL Divisional Round + NBA Players to Watch Tonight

We also preview the Suns vs. Pistons, where returns from injury could be a factor

In today’s newsletter…

1. Leading Off: There are seven NFL games left this season

2. Game of the Day: Surging Suns face East’s No. 1

3. Scouting Report: Wembanyama trying to avoid something he hasn’t done since a rookie

4. By the Numbers: Checking in on NFL Playoffs

5. Overtime: Harbaugh to the Giants

1. Leading Off

There are only seven NFL games left in the season, so today we want to lead off with a simple question for you: What do you want to see more coverage of after the Super Bowl on February 8th?

It will be the heart of the NBA and NHL seasons, college basketball will be one month out from conference tournaments, MLB Spring Training will be approaching, international soccer will be mid-season and MLS will be about to begin, the Winter Olympics will be underway, the UFL will be nearing, and the NFL Draft starts on April 23rd. So please let us know what you want to read about to help us plan our coverage.

— Abe Rakov

2. Game of the Day

Cunningham Off Injury Report for Pistons, Booker Questionable for Suns (13-8 ATS on Road)

The Suns have won nine of 12 and are steadily climbing up the Western Conference, now sitting in seventh and just one game behind the No. 5 Lakers. The Pistons have held down the top spot in the East the entire season and are still four games up despite a 4-4 stretch. With banged up players across the board and two of the top-six defenses in the NBA, points could be harder to come by tonight.

Detroit star Cade Cunningham fell from a 31.6 points per game average in November to 23.5 in December, but is back to 29.0 in three games this month. After missing the past two contests with a wrist issue, Cunningham is off the injury report and is expected to play tonight. Jalen Duren, who hasn’t been in the lineup since New Year’s Day, and Tobias Harris, who has been out since an injury on December 30th, are both probable. Suns leader Devin Booker is questionable due to a sprained ankle and just played 40 minutes in a loss to the Heat on Tuesday.

Suns (24-16, 10-11 Away) vs. Pistons (28-10, 14-4 Home)

The Odds

• Spread: PHX (+6.5, -106), Pistons (-6.5, -114)

  • 63% of the money is with DET but 54% of the bets are with PHX

  • ATS | PHX (road): 13-8, DET (home): 10-8

• Moneyline: PHX +220, DET -270

• Total (223.5): Over -108, Under -112

  • PHX: 17-23, DET 17-21

Head-to-Head

Players to Watch

• PHX G Devin Booker (GTD) | Points: 24.5 (25.2 - 24, 17, 31, 13, 27), Reb: 3.5 (4.1 - 9, 3, 3, 1, 0), Ast: 6.5 (6.5 - 9, 8, 8, 8, 3)

• PHX F Dillon Brooks | Points: 20.5 (21.3 - 25, 16, 27, 21, 15), Reb: 3.5 (3.3 - 4, 1, 7, 7, 4), Ast: 1.5 (1.7 - 0, 1, 5, 3, 2)

• DET G Cade Cunningham | Points: 26.5 (26.7 - 29, 27, 31, 27, 27), Reb: 5.5 (6.2 - 3, 6, 8, 5, 5), Ast: 9.5 (9.7 - 13, 7, 11, 11, 9)

• DET F Duncan Robinson | Points: 9.5 (11.8 - 20, 12, 9, 12, 9)

*Player stats are shown as: Today’s total (Season average - last 5 games from most recent to oldest)

3. Scouting Report

Wembanyama Hasn’t Gone 4 Straight Games With Under 10 Rebounds Since Rookie Season

Spurs F Victor Wembanyama (vs. Bucks)

• Wembanyama has single-digit rebounds in three straight games. He hasn’t been held under 10 in four games in a row since 2023, his rookie year. He faced Milwaukee twice last season, scoring just 10 in the first meeting but going for 30 in the second matchup three weeks later. Wembanyama has scored 29+ in three of six games and 21 or fewer in the other three. The Bucks just gave up 139 points to Minnesota, including 29 to Julius Randle.

• Points: 23.5 (24.0 - 17, 29, 21, 16, 30), Reb: 10.5 (11.0 - 7, 7, 6, 14, 5)

• MIL - L2 (5-5) | Points: 115.7 (15th), Reb: 44.4 (17th), Ast: 26.9 (17th)

Celtics G Jaylen Brown (at Heat)

• After scoring 50 points against the Clippers, Brown has gone under his season scoring average in three of four games. He’s been above his rebounds average in four straight contests and faces the second-worst rebound-preventing team in the NBA tonight in the Heat. In his first matchup against Miami this season (Dec. 19th), Brown scored 30 points on 9-18 shooting and added nine rebounds and seven assists in Boston’s 129-116 win. The Heat average the fifth-most points per game in the league, so the pace should be quick.

• Points: 29.5 (29.5 - 27, 25, 33, 14, 50), Reb: 6.5 (6.4 - 8, 8, 7, 8, 3), Ast: 5.5 (5.0 - 7, 7, 4, 4, 5)

• MIA - W1 (6-4) | Points: 117.8 (22nd), Reb: 47.4 (29th), Ast: 27.2 (19th)

Lakers G Luka Doncic (vs. Hornets)

• Doncic scored 38 points and added six rebounds and seven assists when these teams played in November. He was 14-28 from the floor in that matchup and just five of his points came from the free throw line. Doncic is averaging two points more per game in January than he did in December (33 to 31). He has double-digit assists in three of his past five, and only three teams give up more assists per night than Charlotte. The Hornets have beaten the Thunder by 27 and Jazz by 55 in the past 10 days, but also scored just 96 points in a loss to Toronto in between.

• Points: 32.5 (33.4 - 27, 42, 24, 38, 30), Reb: 7.5 (7.9 - 5, 7, 9, 10, 2), Ast: 8.5 (8.8 - 12, 8, 9, 10, 10)

• CHA - L1 (4-6) | Points: 116.7 (16th), Reb: 40.2 (2nd), Ast: 27.9 (27th)

*Player stats are shown as: Today’s total (Season average - last 5 games from most recent to oldest)

4. By the Numbers

Bears Are Only Home Underdog in NFL Divisional Round and Bettors Are Backing Them

NFL

Today we checked back in on odds for the NFL playoffs, which kick off again on Saturday.

No. 6 Bills (+1.5, -115) vs. No. 1 Broncos (-1.5, -105)

• 58% of the money is with DEN but 55% of the bets are with BUF

• ATS | BUF (road): 5-4, DEN (home): 5-4

• Total (46.5) | BUF: 9-9, DEN: 7-10

No. 5 Texans (+3, -105) vs. No. 2 Patriots (-3, -115)

• 69% of the money and 57% of the bets are with NE

• ATS | HOU (road): 5-4, NE (home): 5-4-1

• Total (41.5) | HOU: 6-12, NE: 11-7

No. 6 49ers (+7, -105) vs. No. 1 Seahawks (-7, -115)

• 51% of the money and 66% of the bets are with SF

• ATS | SF (road): 8-2, SEA (home): 4-4

• Total (44.5) | SF: 10-8, SEA: 9-8

No. 5 Rams (-3.5, -118) vs. No. 2 Bears (+3.5, -104)

• The money is 50/50 but 57% of the bets are with CHI

• ATS | LAR (road): 5-4, CHI (home): 6-3

• Total (48.5) | LAR: 11-7, CHI: 8-10

5. Overtime

In the News

• John Harbaugh is reportedly headed to the Giants, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported. The coach hasn’t agreed to a contract, but it’s where he’s decided he wants to land if a deal can be reached. The Giants have been to the playoffs just twice since winning the Super Bowl in the 2011 season and have won six or fewer games in eight of nine years. Harbaugh is 12th in NFL history in wins at 193.

• ESPN ranked each NFL team’s rookie class, from the No. 1 Saints led by quarterback Tyler Shough to the Rams, who fell from first a year ago to dead last this season. The Browns were ranked second and the Giants were third.

• Oregon quarterback Dante Moore has decided to return to the Ducks rather than leave for the NFL. Moore was expected to be a top-5 pick as the No. 2 quarterback behind Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza. “This team, we've been through a lot, and a lot of people are returning,” Moore said on ESPN. “So I feel like we got exciting things coming this year, and I'm excited to keep pushing my team.”

• There are 18 new members headed to the College Football Hall of Fame, including Aaron Donald, Marvin Harrison, Mark Ingram, Ndamukong Suh, and coaches Gary Patterson and Chris Peterson. You can find the full list here.

• American Coco Gauff is seeded third in the Australian Open and could face 45-year-old Venus Williams, a wild-card entry, in the second round. This is Williams’ first appearance at the tournament in five years. On the men’s side, Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic are in the same half of the draw, opposite No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz. Play starts Sunday.

What to Watch (times ET)

• 2pm: Grizzlies vs. Magic [NBA Berlin Game] on Prime Video

• 7pm: Flyers vs. Penguins on ESPN

• 7:30pm: Thunder vs. Rockets on Prime Video

• 9:30pm: Maple Leafs vs. Golden Knights on ESPN

• 10pm: Knicks vs. Warriors on Prime Video