Tracking lineups and monitoring usage is what gives the bettor a potential advantage. There just is not enough time or staffing for sportsbooks to research every player prop and adjust for matchups, injuries and load management. Oddsmakers are relegated to relying on season averages and, in theory, we can pick off betting value.

The Trail Blazers are catching far too many points vs. the shorthanded Orlando Magic, as Ed Scimia explains in his NBA betting picks for Thursday night.