It is a loaded day of basketball with games taking place all across the Sunday afternoon and deep into the night. In total 10 games will be taking place, with some notable measuring stick matchups and seeding implications on the line.
Tipping off at 1:00 p.m. ET the Boston Celtics will host the New York Knicks, who are still searching for their first victory against a top-three team in the league. Then, at 3:30 p.m. ET, the Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors will square off after each organization had a notable shakeup at the trade deadline. At 5:00 p.m. ET, the Los Angeles Clippers will take on the Indiana Pacers who have done an impressive job turning their season around after a slow start.
Three games will start at 6:00 p.m. ET as the Bucks host the Heat, the Hawks play the Pistons, and the Suns take on the Raptors. At 7:00 p.m. ET, the New Orleans Pelicans will host the San Antonio Spurs following the disappointing news that Victor Wembanyama will be shut down for the remainder of the season. The final game of the night will tip off at 9:30 p.m. ET between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves.
With plenty of NBA action ahead, here are my favorite prop bets for the Feb. 23 slate of games.
James Harden Over 32.5 Points & Assists (-110)
Kawhi Leonard and Norman Powell are each listed as questionable for this game, which could mean some additional offensive responsibility on James Harden’s plate. The 11-time All-Star has done an excellent job keeping the Clippers afloat this season and has proven he has more left in the tank than many expected. Harden is averaging 21.5 points, 8.6 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game across his 34.4 minutes of play.
The biggest concern for Harden at this stage of his career is his ability to bounce back, but he has rest on his side. This will be the second game back from the All-Star break for the Clippers and they have been off since Thursday. Harden finished with 24 points in the first game back despite Leonard being available and Harden shooting 8-for-21 from the field.
Los Angeles will be taking on the Indiana Pacers who are back trending in the right direction but have concerns on the defensive side of the ball. They rank 21st in opponent points per game and 22nd in opponent field-goal percentage. Harden has scored over 32.5 points and assists in 12 games this season and finished with 32 combined points and assists in the first matchup with Indiana. Expect Harden to see his offensive role grow and have an answer for whatever defense is thrown his way. Expect him to record over 32.5 combined points and assists against a porous Pacers defense with Harden having an answer as a scorer or playmaker, depending on what the defense throws his way.
Kevin Durant Over 25.5 Points (-120)
The Phoenix Suns have reached their desperation point and are attempting to scrap their way into the playoffs. They will take on the Toronto Raptors tonight who are just 17-39 on the season but the youthful roster has shown some life of late. Even at the ripe age of 36, Kevin Durant continues to put as much of the offensive responsibility on his plate as the team needs on an every-night basis. The four-time scoring champion is averaging 27.2 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. Durant has recorded over 25.5 points in 24 of the 43 games he has played and is coming off a 27-point performance yesterday.
While Toronto has shown some signs of improvement, its defense still carries concern. The Raptors rank 25th in the NBA in opponent points per game and have allowed 120+ points in five of their past seven games. They also rank 19th in opponent field-goal percentage and are 21st in offensive rebounds allowed, which could lead to some additional offensive possessions.
Phoenix played with a spirited effort yesterday with Bradley Beal making his return to the starting lineup. Durant continues to be at the epicenter of the team’s production and expect the same to occur today. He has recorded 27+ points in four of his past five games and there is not an answer for the former MVP on this Toronto roster. Count on Durant to be effective in picking his spots and record over 25.5 points for the 25th time this season.
Jaren Jackson Jr. Over 5.5 Rebounds (-130)
The Cleveland Cavaliers and Memphis Grizzlies will face off today with both teams having outplayed their early expectations. These teams also share a similarity in that plenty of the public is skeptical of their playoff chances despite their continued success on the court. While this will still not change until the playoffs arrive, this is an intriguing matchup to see how these two sides stack up.
Jaren Jackson Jr. has been a huge reason why the Grizzlies have taken a step forward this season. The 25-year-old is averaging 22.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. Jackson has recorded over 5.5 rebounds in 32 of the 54 games he has played.
Rebounding is typically a strength of the Cavaliers as they lean heavily on the interior presence of both Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. However, Allen left yesterday’s victory over the Knicks with a hand injury and his status is uncertain in this game. He was present at this morning’s shootaround, but this will be something to watch. The absence of Allen would clear the path for Jackson to reach this number, although I like his chances of recording over 5.5 rebounds regardless. The Grizzlies’ big man has reached this number in three of the past four games and will have a clear path in this matchup with Zach Edey likely to be focused on Cleveland’s primary rebounding option. Look for Jackson to record over 5.5 rebounds and be up for the interior challenge against this Cavaliers team.
Anthony Edwards Over 3.5 Made Three-Pointers (-115)
In the final matchup of tonight’s NBA slate, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves will square off. Anthony Edwards has stepped into center stage of the franchise following the decision to trade Karl-Anthony Towns and he has proven ready for the chance.
So far this season, Edwards is averaging 27.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists. He has increased his three-point volume by launching 10.2 three-point attempts per game, trailing only Steph Curry for the most in the NBA, and connecting on 41.1% of these attempts. The former No. 1 overall pick is averaging 4.2 made three-pointers per game and has connected on over 3.5 made threes in 36 of the 55 games he has played.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have the best defense in the NBA this season and will be a difficult challenge for Edwards and the Timberwolves. But the three-time All-Star has taken his scoring to new heights lately, averaging an NBA-best 34.7 points per game in February. He produced three consecutive 40-point games this month and has recorded over 3.5 made three-pointers in six of his past eight games. Expect this effort to continue with injuries having taken a toll on this Timberwolves roster, which has required Edwards to consistently play in attack mode. Expect him to prioritize the perimeter for his offensive production with the Thunder’s tough defense in mind and for Edwards to command plenty of volume and connect on at least four three-pointers tonight.
