In its second year, Head-to-Head returns as a fantasy game that is centred around how many points players score.
Every week, starting Dec. 7 through the remainder of the 2021-22 NBA season, five new matchups will be presented. In each matchup, all you have to do is pick which player you think will score more points in their game. For each correct pick, you earn points. The more points you earn, the more prizes you can receive.
However, there is one new twist this season: Head-to-Head will now keep track of streaks.
Fans with the longest streak (the most consecutive wins) over a specified six-week period can win $5,000. There will be three different six-week streak periods, meaning there is $15,000 total up for grabs over the course of the season!
Winners can also earn a video chat with an NBA All-Star, courtside tickets and more. There are weekly and season-long prizes, with over 190 prizes expected to be handed out this season.
You can find each matchup for Week 9 below.
Here's what you need to know about each matchup...
Desmond Bane vs. RJ Barrett
Matchup: Grizzlies vs. Knicks
Date/Time: Wednesday, Feb. 2 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Channel: NBA TV Canada
Bane is averaging 18.1 points per game during his breakout season, giving him the edge over Barrett's 17.3. Bane recently went off for a career-high 34 points and his sharpshooting makes him a great selection, but Barrett has been scoring in bunches lately, too. Averaging 20.6 points over his last five games, you can't go wrong with either player. This will be the first time the Grizzlies and Knicks meet this season.
Luguentz Dort vs. Jalen Brunson
Matchup: Thunder vs. Mavericks
Date/Time: Wednesday, Feb. 2 at 8:30 p.m. ET
Channel: NBA League Pass
Dort's 16.4 points per game takes the advantage over Brunson's 15.7, which may come as a surprise to most. Brunson has been a key cog to the Mavericks' success this season but does have to take a secondary role behind Luka Doncic most of the time. He's averaging 14.4 points over his last five games, which doesn't make your decision much easier when you consider Dort is posting 14.8 points over that same span. In their only matchup this season where both players played, Brunson outscored Dort 18-10.
Nikola Vucevic vs. Gary Trent Jr.
Matchup: Bulls vs. Raptors
Date/Time: Thursday, Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Channel: SN One
Trent's 17.8 points per game edges Vucevic's 16.8 and the Raptors sharpshooter is looking like the logical answer. Even though Vucevic is a two-time All-Star and he's averaging a strong 19.6 points over his last five games, Trent has been on fire. He has scored over 30 points in four consecutive games, averaging 32.0 points over that span. Until he cools off, Trent is a safe bet to rack up some points.
Joel Embiid vs. Luka Doncic
Matchup: 76ers vs. Mavericks
Date/Time: Friday, Feb. 4 at 10:00 p.m. ET
Channel: NBA League Pass, SN Now (Streaming)
This is the headlining matchup between two of the hottest players in the NBA right now. Embiid's 29.1 points per game edges Doncic's 25.6 but there is no wrong answer in this matchup. Embiid has been a walking 30-point game as of late, going for 30-plus points in 15 of his last 17 games. But we all know how Doncic can fill it up, averaging 30.0 points per game over the last two weeks. Trust your gut on this one because both players are in for big scoring nights.
Darius Garland vs. Miles Bridges
Matchup: Cavaliers vs. Hornets
Date/Time: Friday, Feb. 4 at 7:00 p.m. ET
Channel: NBA League Pass
Bridges and Garland have been two of the most improved players in the NBA this season, making this a fun head-to-head matchup. Bridges' 20.2 points per game edges Garland's 19.8 but both players are capable of scoring well beyond their averages. Bridges is posting 21.4 points over his last five games while Garland is averaging 19.8 over that same span. In their only meeting where both players played this season, Garland's 16 points outweighed Bridges' 13.
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