The 2022-23 NBA season continues on Thursday with four games on the NBA schedule, including a matchup between a pair of top-six teams in the East with the Cavaliers visiting the Nets. Brooklyn moved Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving at the trade deadline but has been able to stay afloat in the playoff race thanks to some of the players it received back for those two superstars. Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson and Spencer Dinwiddie have all played well for the Nets, and the affordably priced trio could make for an intriguing NBA DFS stack on Thursday.

However, some NBA daily Fantasy players may avoid that game altogether with Caesars Sportsbook expecting a low-scoring affair. The total is at 219.5 for Cavaliers vs. Nets, while it’s a whopping 232.5 for Clippers vs. Thunder. So does that mean you should be loading players from that game into your NBA DFS lineups, or should you be seeking out the best individual matchups in the NBA DFS player pool? Before making any NBA DFS picks for Thursday, be sure to check out the NBA DFS advice, player rankings, stacks and top daily Fantasy basketball picks from SportsLine’s Mike McClure.

McClure is a DFS professional with over $2 million in career winnings. He’s also a predictive data engineer at SportsLine who uses a powerful prediction model that simulates every minute of every game 10,000 times, taking factors like matchups, statistical trends and injuries into account.

This allows him to find the best NBA DFS values and create optimal lineups that he shares only over at SportsLine. They’re a must-see for any NBA DFS player.

On Wednesday, McClure highlighted Raptors forward Pascal Siakam as one of his top NBA DFS picks. The result: Siakam finished with 31 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and a blocked shot, returning 57 points on DraftKings and 55.5 points on FanDuel. Anybody that included him in their lineups was well on the way to a profitable day.  

Now, McClure has turned his attention to NBA action on Thursday and locked in his top daily Fantasy basketball picks. You can only see them by heading to SportsLine.

Top NBA DFS picks for Thursday, March 23

One of McClure’s top NBA DFS picks for Thursday is Hornets forward Gordon Hayward ($5,700 on DraftKings and $6,300 on FanDuel). The one-time NBA all-star will celebrate his 33rd birthday on Thursday and, while he hasn’t been the same since a catastrophic knee injury in Boston, he’s still an extremely capable scorer. He’s seen half of his 12 20-point games this season come in the last 16 games.

Hayward is averaging 16.5 points, 4.9 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game during that 16-game stretch and is shooting 51.3% from the floor and 38.0% from the 3-point line. He’s coming off a 22-point night on Monday against the Pacers and has shot 41.3% from the 3-point line in his career against the Pelicans.

Another part of McClure’s optimal NBA DFS strategy includes rostering Cavaliers PF/C Evan Mobley ($7,300 on DraftKings, $8,300 on FanDuel). The No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft was named to the 2021-22 NBA All-Rookie team after averaging 15.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.7 blocks per game while shooting 50.8% from the floor.

This season, Mobley is averaging 16.2 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting an impressive 55.1% from the floor. The 21-year-old has 21 double-doubles on the season and his impressive length has helped him pile up 156 stocks (steals + blocks), further aiding his value in NBA daily Fantasy.

How to set your NBA DFS lineups for Thursday, March 23

McClure is also targeting a player who could go off for massive numbers on Thursday because of a dream matchup. This pick could be the difference between winning your tournaments and cash games or going home with nothing. You can only see who it is here.

Who is DFS pro Mike McClure putting in his optimal NBA DFS lineups for Thursday? Visit SportsLine now to see optimal NBA DFS picks, rankings, advice, and stacks, all from a professional DFS player who has over $2 million in career winnings, and find out.