Eight games will occur across the Sunday NBA slate with roughly eight games remaining on each team’s schedule before the regular season concludes. With the final push for the playoffs in full swing, each game carries some significant weight. Seeding is still up for grabs in both conferences while plenty of teams have shifted their priorities to maximizing their lottery odds as well.
The action will begin at 3:30 p.m. ET as the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Clippers face off with Kawhi Leonard sidelined for the matchup. The New York Knicks will then host the Portland Trail Blazers at 6:00 pm. ET before the full slate kicks off.
Four games will be tipping off at 7:00 p.m. ET. The San Antonio Spurs will face the Golden State Warriors, the Detroit Pistons will take on the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Milwaukee Bucks will play the Atlanta Hawks, and the Charlotte Hornets will host the New Orleans Pelicans. A half-hour later, the Philadelphia 76ers will face the Toronto Raptors on the second night of a back-to-back. Finally, at 9:00 p.m. ET, the Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns will square off in the final matchup of the night.
Keep a close eye on the injury reports as the grind of the season has taken a toll around the league. With plenty of NBA action ahead, here are my favorite prop bets for Sunday’s slate.
Josh Hart Over 29.5 Points, Rebounds, & Assists (-115)
Jalen Brunson continues to be sidelined for the New York Knicks and is working to get back on the floor with the regular season winding down. The Knicks have gone 6-5 in the stretch without him but surely will not reach their peak until he returns. Josh Hart may lead the conversations for players impacted the most by Brunson’s absence and has had to scale up his offensive role without the ball-dominant guard. While Brunson is the more talented player, Hart is the engine of this team and sets the tone for the roster even when both are on the floor.
On the season as a whole, Hart is averaging 13.8 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 5.8 assists across an NBA-leading 37.7 minutes per game. Surprisingly, his scoring output has dipped to 10.1 per game during the 11-game absence without Brunson but his rebounding output has grown to 10.1 and assists to 6.9 per game. He will benefit from playing a youthful Trail Blazers roster that ranks 16th in opponents’ points allowed, 16th in opponents’ rebounds allowed, and 21st in opponents’ field goal percentage.
Hart has recorded over 29.5 combined points, rebounds, and assists in 33 games this season. With an inferior opponent and more responsibility on his plate without Brunson, expect Hart’s impact to show in the box score tonight. Look for him to have success attacking the basket against a weak interior defense and for his energy level to lead to success rebounding the basketball. Count on him to eclipse 29.5 combined points, rebounds, and assists for the 34th time this season against this youthful Portland squad.
Jusuf Nurkic Under 22.5 Points, Rebounds, & Assists (-105)
It has been a rapid fall from grace from when Jusuf Nurkic looked to be growing into a solid starting caliber big man. After averaging 15.0 points and 11.1 rebounds as recently as the 2021-22 season, he fell out of good graces with the Trail Blazers and quickly wore out his welcome with the Suns. Nurkic was traded to the Hornets at the deadline and will see an expanded role today with Mark Williams ruled out today.
Across his opening 18 games in Charlotte, Nurkic is averaging 7.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. He ranks in the 92nd percentile for fouls averaging 2.6 fouls in just 20.6 minutes per game this season. Charlotte has played at the seventh slowest pace this season with this expected to continue after the season-ending injury to LaMelo Ball. In addition, the Pelicans have played at the third-slowest pace over their past five games.
The Pelicans have plenty of injuries on their own but don’t expect Jusuf Nurkic to be the story of this game. The 30-year-old has been held under 22.5 combined points, rebounds, and assists in 27 of the 43 games he has played this season including 14 of the 18 with the Hornets and each of the past 10 games. Even with an expanded role, this number is too lofty for my liking, and count on Nurkic being held under 22.5 combined points, rebounds, and assists tonight.
Ja’Kobe Walter Over 1.5 Made Three-Pointers (+110)
The Philadelphia 76ers have dropped to the fourth-worst record in the league and have officially been eliminated from the playoffs for the first time since 2016-17. They continue to limp to the finish line and will face the Toronto Raptors tonight with both teams more interested in allowing their young players to play through their growing pains. Ja’Kobe Walter has been a recent bright spot for Toronto after he was drafted with the 19th overall pick.
Across the 47 games he has played this season, Walter is averaging 8.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 20.5 minutes per game. He is shooting 31.4% from beyond the arc and attempting 3.4 perimeter shots per game. His opportunity level has expanded of late with Walter playing 25.9 minutes per game across his past eight games and he has made over 1.5 three-pointers in four of his past five games.
Philadelphia has struggled to defend the perimeter all season with the Sixers ranking 29th in the league in opponents’ three-point percentage. Things have gotten worse with the team in full tank mode and six of the last seven shooting guards to face the Sixers have knocked down at least two three-pointers. The Baylor product is a solid shooter who will see his opportunities from beyond the arc. This is a great matchup for Walter to showcase his skills and look for him to connect with over 1.5 three-pointers again tonight. and capitalize with the +110 odds.
Amen Thompson Over 14.5 Points (-105)
In the final matchup of the night’s slate the Houston Rockets will face the Phoenix Suns. Houston sits comfortably in the second seed in the Western Conference while the Suns are frantically trying to scrap their way to the play-in tournament as they sit a game behind the Kings in the standings for the 10th seed. The Rockets’ youthful core has begun to take the next step with Amen Thompson being among the biggest example. In his second season, he has improved in just about every area averaging 14.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists on the year.
While his perimeter shooting remains a work in progress, Thompson attacks the rim as well as any player in the league and has athleticism that is impossible to match. Phoenix ranks 25th in the league in fast break points allowed and 17th in opponents points in the paint which spells trouble for Thompson’s skillset. The Overtime Elite product is the sparkplug for this Rockets team and look for him to be active in transition throughout.
Phoenix has too much talent to be where they are in the standings, but the defense has been the root of all of their issues. Look for Thompson to lean on his physical tools for success and for the Suns to have no answer for his combination of size and skill. He has tallied over 14.5 points in 30 of the 63 games he has played this season including four of his past five games. Expect the issues stopping the fast break to be on full display and for Thompson to record over 14.5 points in the matchup tonight.
