After a relatively quiet Sunday slate, the NBA returns with 10 games today, including a particular emphasis on West Coast matchups. Five of the 10 games tip off at 10:00 p.m. ET or later.
To start, the New York Knicks host the Miami Heat in the lone matchup at 7:30 p.m. ET. A half-hour later, the Pacers play the Timberwolves, the Pistons face the Pelicans, and the Sixers take on the Rockets. Then, at 9:00 p.m. ET, the Chicago Bulls match up with the Utah Jazz.
In the later window, four games will be tipping off at 10:00 p.m. ET. This includes the Warriors hosting the Nuggets, the Raptors taking on the Suns, the Grizzlies facing the Kings, and the Wizards traveling to match up with the Trail Blazers. Finally, at 10:30 p.m. ET, the last matchup of the night takes place between the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs.
With plenty of NBA action ahead, here are my favorite prop bets for Monday’s slate.
Mikal Bridges Over 26.5 Points, Rebounds, & Assists (-105)
The outlook for the New York Knicks changed greatly when Jalen Brunson went down with an ankle injury. The star guard remains away from the floor, which has shaken up the rest of the roster’s roles. Mikal Bridges has been among the biggest beneficiaries of this after being underutilized for the larger part of the season.
On the campaign overall, Bridges is averaging 17.5 points, 3.5 assists, and 3.2 rebounds. Across the past four games without Brunson, Bridges is averaging 22.3 points, 5.0 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game. He has recorded 26 or more combined points, rebounds, and assists in all four of these games. The Knicks take on the Miami Heat tonight, who have looked lifeless of late. Miami enters tonight’s matchup on a seven-game losing streak.
The grind of the NBA continues and the Heat must look for some way to stop the bleeding. Expect the Knicks to look to take advantage of their opponents’ struggling state and defeat them for the third time this season. Bridges always logs a lot of minutes but has been given more opportunities with the ball in his hands without Brunson. Look for him to continue playing a significant role and record over 26.5 combined points, rebounds, and assists for the 26th time this season.
Tobias Harris Over 5.5 Rebounds (-130)
The Detroit Pistons have emerged as one of the better stories in the NBA in the second half of the season. Their youthful roster has taken the next step and sits sixth place in the Eastern Conference with their 37-31 record. Tobias Harris was brought in as a veteran presence this past off-season has contributed to this leap. The 32-year-old is averaging 14.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game.
Detroit travels to face the New Orleans Pelicans tonight, who have seen their season de-railed due to injuries. On the season, New Orleans ranks 26th in opponent points per game, 28th in opponent rebounds allowed, and 21st in total team rebounds. This will be the first matchup of the season between these two teams but Harris has been rebounding the ball at an extremely high level.
Over the past six games, Harris is averaging 8.5 rebounds per game. He has recorded over 5.5 rebounds in all six of these matchups. Harris also has logged over 5.5 rebounds in 34 of the 64 games he has played this year and in 17 of the 29 games since Jaden Ivey went down with an injury. Zion Williamson, Yves Missi, and Kelly Olynyk are each listed questionable, and if any miss this contest, it would make Harris’ path to a strong rebounding output even more clear. Count on the veteran to remain active on the glass and tally over 5.5 rebounds for the 35th time this season and the seventh straight game.
Tyrese Haliburton Over 9.5 Assists (-135)
It has been an uneasy season for the Indiana Pacers, but they remain fourth place in the Eastern Conference with all goals for the season still in reach. Tyrese Haliburton has been a reason for this uncertain outlook and is averaging fewer points and assists than in either of the past two seasons. The two-time All-Star is averaging 18.5 points and 9.0 assists per game on the season but has finally shown flashes of his best self of late.
Since the All-Star break, Haliburton is averaging 21.9 points and 11.9 assists per game. He has recorded 10+ assists in nine straight games entering tonight’s matchup, with February 20th marking the last time he was held under 9.5 assists in a game. Haliburton is still plenty effective as a scorer, but his playmaking ability is his best trait and he has let it shine lately.
This is a difficult matchup as the Pacers face off with the surging Minnesota Timberwolves. They enter this game on an eight-game winning streak and have won their past 13 games that Julius Randle has been active in. Minnesota ranks sixth in opponent points per game, fourth in opponent assists allowed, and seventh in opponent field goal percentage. Even still, Haliburton is coming off a 15-assist performance and has eclipsed 9.5 assists in each of the past nine. Look for him to continue reading the game at an incredibly high level and tally 10+ assists again tonight.
Luka Doncic Over 9.5 Rebounds (-105)
In the final matchup of the night’s slate, the Los Angeles Lakers will take on the San Antonio Spurs. This is the second night of a back-to-back for the Lakers after they defeated the Phoenix Suns yesterday, and they continue to be without LeBron James and Rui Hachimura. Luka Doncic has settled in with this Lakers team and looks more like himself of late. He has been asked to take on an even more notable responsibility on offense with LeBron James sidelined.
This has been especially evident in Doncic’s rebounding. Los Angeles’ weakness on the interior is clearly one that could ultimately end up sinking their season. But for the time being, Doncic has helped cover up this issue. Across his 14 games with the Lakers thus far, Doncic is averaging 8.8 rebounds per game and has recorded over 9.5 rebounds in seven of these games. This includes each of the past three matchups.
Looking at San Antonio, their outlook changed completely when Victor Wembanyama was shut down for the season. This was further piled on when De’Aaron Fox was forced to join him on the injured report for the remainder of the campaign. Over the past month, San Antonio is allowing the fifth-most rebounds per game. Doncic faced off with this Spurs team twice already this year while still playing for the Mavericks. He eclipsed 9.5 rebounds in one of these two matchups while Victor Wembanyama was still healthy. Doncic’s importance on the boards has grown since this point and the Spurs have gotten weaker due to injury. Look for the Lakers star to continue asserting himself on the boards and make his way to over 9.5 rebounds for the fourth straight game and eighth time in a Lakers uniform.
