ESPN's basketball daily cheat sheet is your pregame destination before you lock in daily fantasy and betting decisions for that night's games. Here you'll find our top insights for the slate, including players to target for your daily fantasy rosters, along with game-by-game injury reports.
What you need to know for Friday
Friday's NBA playoff slate brings two potential elimination games with very different emotions attached. The Cleveland Cavaliers have a chance to close out the Detroit Pistons at Rocket Arena after flipping the series from a 2-0 deficit to a 3-2 lead. The Pistons are coming off a crushing Game 5 collapse, while the Cavaliers enter with a perfect home playoff record and a chance to reach their first Eastern Conference Finals since 2018. The key question is whether Cade Cunningham can carry the Pistons offense on the road, or if Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Cleveland's home shooting will be too much.
In the Western Conference, the Minnesota Timberwolves are trying to keep their season alive against the San Antonio Spurs after falling behind 3-2. The Timberwolves have had chances throughout the series, but slow starts, turnovers, transition defense and missed rebounds have repeatedly hurt them. Now they need Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle and the rest of the supporting cast to respond at home against Victor Wembanyama and a young Spurs team one win from advancing to the conference finals.
Let's dig further into the matchups to identify some betting angles and DFS value picks for tonight's action.
Moody's bets for Friday
James Harden 3+ made 3-pointers (+103)
This is a potential closeout game for the Cavaliers, and they would rather not head back to Detroit for a Game 7. Harden has averaged 7.4 3-point attempts per game this postseason and has made at least three triples in seven of his last 12 games. He's also averaging 3.3 made 3s per game at home in the postseason. The shot volume and minutes should be there for Harden tonight.
De'Aaron Fox 18+ points (-111)
Fox got off to a slow start in this series, but he has scored at least 18 points in each of the last two games. For the series, he's averaging 16.2 field-goal attempts per game, so the volume should continue to be there. While Wembanyama is a dominant interior defender, he operates on the perimeter offensively at times, which has helped open up the paint for the Spurs. Fox has capitalized by aggressively attacking the basket. This duo works well together.
Dylan Harper 5+ rebounds (+125)
Harper has done an excellent job on the boards in this series, grabbing at least five rebounds in three of five games. He has averaged 9.2 rebound chances and 24.8 MPG in those contests, and the Timberwolves have allowed the third-most rebounds per game to point guards this season. At plus odds, Harper is worth a look to clear this number again.
Top Daily Fantasy Values of the Day
$8,100+ salaries
Victor Wembanyama, C, Spurs ($10,700): Wembanyama has the highest ceiling of any player on this slate. He has averaged 62.1 fantasy points per game across four full games in this series, excluding the game in which he was ejected after playing just 12 minutes. As the Spurs look to close out the series, Wembanyama belongs in your lineups.
Cade Cunningham, PG, Pistons ($10,500): Cunningham has averaged 49.1 fantasy points and 42.0 MPG in this series, giving him one of the biggest workloads on the slate. If the Pistons are going to extend their playoff run with a road win, they'll likely need another high-end performance from him.
$6,100-$8,000 salaries
James Harden, PG, Cavaliers ($8,000): Harden has struggled shooting the basketball in each of the last two games, but he has still scored at least 51 fantasy points in both contests. He has a 26.7% usage rate in the series and is averaging 37.6 MPG, giving him one of the most secure workloads on the slate. The Pistons are not going down without a fight, so Harden will need another strong performance to help the Cavaliers close out the series.
Evan Mobley, PF/C, Cavaliers ($7,500): Mobley has scored at least 48 fantasy points in each of the last two games and has helped neutralize Jalen Duren along the way. His defensive production gives him added upside, making him an intriguing DFS option at this price point.
Tobias Harris, PF, Pistons ($7,200): Harris has been reliable throughout the series against the Cavaliers. He has the third-highest usage rate on the Pistons in this series behind Cunningham and Paul Reed, and he has scored at least 27 fantasy points in every game.
$3,500-$6,000 salaries
Devin Vassell, SF, Spurs ($5,200): Vassell offers DFS players a steady floor, scoring at least 21 fantasy points in every game this series, including one outing with 33 fantasy points. He has also averaged 31.8 MPG, and the Spurs should continue to rely on their starters as they look to close out the series. Vassell's ability to contribute across multiple categories also helps at this salary.
Stephen A. Smith and Ryan Clark debate what's at stake for James Harden in Game 6 for the Cavaliers vs. the Pistons.
Projections and Injury Reports
Basketball Power Index by ESPN Analytics. Injury aggregation by Rotowire.com. Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook
Detroit Pistons at Cleveland Cavaliers
7 p.m. ET on Prime Video
Line: Pistons +3.5 (-105) | Cavaliers -3.5 (-115)
Money line: Pistons +145 | Cavaliers -175
Total: 209.5 (-115 O, -105 U)
BPI Projection: Pistons by 1, straight up 53%, 219.7 total points.
Injury Report:
Pistons: Caris LeVert, (GTD - Heel); Duncan Robinson, (GTD - Back); Kevin Huerter, (GTD - Thigh)
Cavaliers: None reported
San Antonio Spurs at Minnesota Timberwolves
9:30 p.m. ET on Prime Video
Line: Spurs -4.5 (-115) | Timberwolves +4.5 (-105)
Money line: Spurs -205 | Timberwolves +170
Total: 218.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Spurs by 4.6, straight up 64%, 221.3 total points.
Injury Report:
Spurs: David Jones Garcia, (OFS - Ankle)
Timberwolves: Donte DiVincenzo, (OFS - Achilles)
