Fantasy picks and betting tips for Wednesday’s NBA Cup slate

Wednesday night is the second half of the Emirates NBA Cup quarterfinals, featuring two games: the Atlanta Hawks at New York Knicks (7 p.m. ET on ESPN) and Golden State Warriors at Houston Rockets (9:30 p.m. ET on TNT).

It’s a short slate with concentrated action, but it’s also a tournament where there is more on the line than a typical regular-season game.

I expect high intensity and some good performances, so let’s dig a bit deeper into the matchups and find some fantasy hoops streamers and betting angles of interest.

Odds by ESPN BET

Wednesday’s Stream Team

Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors (available in 41.6% of ESPN leagues)

Kuminga should be universally rostered. He has developed into one of the impact players on the Warriors and a nightly fantasy points producer. In his four games since re-entering the starting lineup, Kuminga has averaged 21.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.5 3PG, 1.5 BPG and 1.0 SPG in 31.8 MPG.

Larry Nance Jr., Atlanta Hawks (97.6% available)

This pick is dependent on the availability of Jalen Johnson (questionable, shoulder), who didn’t play Monday and has reportedly not made a lot of progress in practice the last couple of days. Nance started in Johnson’s place Monday and scored 16 points with four rebounds, three assists and two steals. If he gets another start on Wednesday, he could be a worthy streaming option on a light slate.

De’Andre Hunter, Atlanta Hawks (70.4%)

Hunter is listed as probable to play on Wednesday, and he enters the game on a roll. Hunter has played in 11 straight games, and in the seven most recent games has averaged 22.1 PPG, 3.7 RPG and 3.4 3-pointers made per game in 28.3 MPG off the bench.

Dre’s bets for the day

Karl-Anthony Towns OVER 12.5 total rebounds (-140)

Towns has been a rebounding machine for the past month. He has pulled down double-digit boards in all 13 games during that stretch, and in his last eight games has averaged 15.3 RPG with 14 or more boards in seven of the eight. On Wednesday he faces a Hawks squad that allows opposing centers to average 14.9 RPG, tied for 18th in the NBA.

Stephen Curry OVER 24.5 points (-125)

Curry has been picking his spots this season, sitting out more games and playing fewer minutes when he does play. He sat out both games the Warriors have played against the Rockets this season, including last week when Golden State won by six points. But when he does play, Curry remains one of the most efficient and prolific shooters/scorers in the NBA. Curry has scored at least 23 points in each of his last five games, averaging 25.6 PPG in 32.4 MPG during that span. With Wednesday’s game the ticket for a trip to Las Vegas for the NBA Cup semifinals, I look for Curry to play well and produce above his scoring norm.

Jalen Green OVER 18.5 points (-120)

Green is one of the streakiest scorers in the NBA, and he has has been on an uptick of late. After a 14-game span in which Green scored more than 18 points just three times and topped out at 21 points, he has exploded for three games of 28 or more points in his last five outings. He’s facing a Warriors squad that allows opposing shooting guards to average 22.9 PPG, 19th in the NBA.

Projections and Injury Reports

Basketball Power Index by ESPN Analytics. Injury aggregation by Rotowire.com. Odds by ESPN BET

Players in italics are available in a majority of ESPN Leagues

Atlanta Hawks at New York Knicks
7 p.m. ET on ESPN

Line: Hawks 7.5 (-105) | Knicks -7.5 (-115)
Money line: Hawks +270 | Knicks -340
Total: 237.5 (-105 O, -115 U)
BPI Projection: Knicks by 4.7, straight up 65%, 237.8 total points.

Injury Report:
Hawks: Bogdan Bogdanovic, (GTD – Quadriceps); De’Andre Hunter, (GTD – Knee); Jalen Johnson, (GTD – Shoulder); Trae Young, (GTD – Achilles); Seth Lundy, (OUT – Ankle); Cody Zeller, (OUT – Personal)
Knicks: Mitchell Robinson, (OUT – Ankle); Josh Hart, (GTD – Ankle); Karl-Anthony Towns, (GTD – Knee); Kevin McCullar Jr., (GTD – Knee)

Hawks projections:

• Trae Young, PG: 41.0 FPTS (20.6 pts, 3.9 reb, 8.7 ast, 2.4 3PM)

• Jalen Johnson, PF: 36.4 FPTS (18.0 pts, 9.3 reb, 5.4 ast)

• Dyson Daniels, PG/SG: 26.3 FPTS (12.1 pts, 4.8 reb, 3.2 ast)

• De’Andre Hunter, SF/PF: 23.3 FPTS (15.3 pts, 3.2 reb, 1.1 ast, 2.0 3PM)

• Bogdan Bogdanovic, SG/SF: 22.4 FPTS (12.7 pts, 3.1 reb, 2.1 ast, 2.1 3PM)

• Clint Capela, C: 21.9 FPTS (10.0 pts, 8.5 reb, 1.4 ast)

• Onyeka Okongwu, C: 18.9 FPTS (9.6 pts, 6.4 reb, 1.3 ast)

Knicks projections:

• Jalen Brunson, PG: 43.2 FPTS (25.9 pts, 2.9 reb, 6.7 ast, 2.3 3PM)

• Karl-Anthony Towns, PF/C: 41.9 FPTS (23.0 pts, 11.6 reb, 3.2 ast, 2.1 3PM)

• Mikal Bridges, SG/SF: 34.9 FPTS (19.5 pts, 3.4 reb, 3.9 ast, 2.6 3PM)

• Josh Hart, SG/SF: 34.4 FPTS (13.5 pts, 7.5 reb, 5.4 ast)

• OG Anunoby, SF/PF: 31.4 FPTS (17.3 pts, 4.4 reb, 1.9 ast, 2.3 3PM)

• Miles McBride, PG: 21.2 FPTS (9.9 pts, 2.2 reb, 3.0 ast)

• Cameron Payne, PG/SG: 14.5 FPTS (6.9 pts, 1.1 reb, 2.4 ast)

Golden State Warriors at Houston Rockets
9:30 p.m. ET on TNT

Line: Warriors 1.5 (-105) | Rockets -1.5 (-115)
Money line: Warriors +105 | Rockets -125
Total: 223.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Rockets by 0.8, straight up 53%, 223.7 total points.

Injury Report:
Warriors: De’Anthony Melton, (OUT – Knee); Andrew Wiggins, (GTD – Ankle); Moses Moody, (OUT – Knee)
Rockets: Alperen Sengun, (GTD – Knee); Cam Whitmore, (GTD – Wrist); Jae’Sean Tate, (GTD – Back); Steven Adams, (GTD – Knee)

Warriors projections:

• Stephen Curry, PG: 40.5 FPTS (22.4 pts, 4.7 reb, 6.2 ast, 3.7 3PM)

• Draymond Green, PF/C: 26.2 FPTS (10.0 pts, 5.7 reb, 5.3 ast)

• Andrew Wiggins, SF/PF: 25.3 FPTS (15.2 pts, 3.6 reb, 2.3 ast, 1.8 3PM)

• Jonathan Kuminga, PF: 24.8 FPTS (16.0 pts, 4.0 reb, 2.0 ast)

• Brandin Podziemski, PG/SG: 19.1 FPTS (8.7 pts, 3.9 reb, 2.9 ast)

• Kevon Looney, C: 18.8 FPTS (7.3 pts, 7.4 reb, 2.1 ast)

• Buddy Hield, SG/SF: 18.7 FPTS (10.3 pts, 3.1 reb, 1.4 ast, 2.4 3PM)

Rockets projections:

• Alperen Sengun, C: 37.0 FPTS (18.5 pts, 8.6 reb, 5.2 ast)

• Fred VanVleet, PG: 35.4 FPTS (16.4 pts, 3.7 reb, 5.6 ast, 2.7 3PM)

• Jalen Green, SG: 32.5 FPTS (20.7 pts, 4.2 reb, 2.9 ast, 2.4 3PM)

• Amen Thompson, SG/SF/PF: 22.6 FPTS (12.6 pts, 6.2 reb, 2.0 ast)

• Dillon Brooks, SG/SF: 22.5 FPTS (12.8 pts, 3.4 reb, 2.2 ast, 2.0 3PM)

• Jabari Smith Jr., PF/C: 21.2 FPTS (12.0 pts, 6.0 reb, 1.1 ast)

• Tari Eason, SF/PF: 20.9 FPTS (10.1 pts, 4.9 reb, 1.1 ast)