The final week of February has yielded some great results when it comes to my best bets in the NBA, as seven of the last eight have hit heading into Monday night’s action.
There are a handful of teams playing the second night of a back-to-back tonight since 20 teams were in action on Sunday, but that’s not stopping me from pocking a couple props and a couple sides on Feb. 24.
In fact, we’re going back to the well with a Naz Reid prop after he easily hit the OVER against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday, and now matches up with them again tonight.
Here’s a full breakdown of the picks for Feb. 24.
NBA Best Bets Record to Date2024-25 season record: 156-151-4 (+0.05 units)OVERALL (since 2021-22 season): 1166-1096-26 (+38.15 units)
NBA Best Bets Today
Naz Reid OVER 25.5 Points and Rebounds (-125)Toumani Camara OVER 1.5 3-Pointers Made (+105) – 0.5 unitBrooklyn Nets Moneyline (-162) vs. Washington Wizards – 0.5 unitDenver Nuggets -5.5 (-108) vs. Indiana Pacers – 0.5 unitNaz Reid OVER 25.5 Points and Rebounds (-125)
Naz Reid? Naz Reid.
The Minnesota Timberwolves big man had a huge role on Sunday with Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert out, and he responded with 22 points and 11 rebounds in nearly 40 minutes of action in a loss to the Thunder.
These teams will now play on the second night of a back-to-back in OKC, yet oddsmakers have dropped Reid’s points and rebounds prop from 27.5 to 25.5. Sign. Me. Up.
Over his last 10 games (all as a starter), Reid is averaging 20.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, clearing 25.5 points and rebounds in eight of those matchups. He’s also scored 22 or more points in four straight, making it extremely easy to pass this prop.
If Gobert and Randle are out again, it’s hard not to love Reid at this number against a Thunder team that ranks in the bottom half in the NBA in rebounding percentage this season.
Toumani Camara OVER 1.5 3-Pointers Made (+105) – 0.5 unit
Portland Trail Blazers wing Toumani Camara has been one of the biggest bright spots for the team this season, and he’s knocking down 3s at a solid rate, shooting 37.2 percent from beyond the arc for the season.
Camara has a huge role for the Blazers – he averages 32.3 minutes per game and has started every game he’s played in – and he’s knocked down multiple shots from deep in five of the last nine games he’s played in, shooting 50.0 percent from deep over that stretch.
Monday features a great matchup for Camara and the Blazers, as they are facing a Utah Jazz team that ranks dead last in opponent 3-pointers made per game (14.6) and 19th in opponent 3-point percentage (36.0).
Brooklyn Nets Moneyline (-162) vs. Washington Wizards – 0.5 unit
Don’t look now, but the Brooklyn Nets are just 0.5 games out of the final play-in tournament spot in the Eastern Conference heading into Monday’s matchup with the NBA’s worst team – the Washington Wizards – in Washington, D.C.
The Wizards have dropped six games in a row, including a 20-point loss against the Orlando Magic on Sunday. Now, they have a quick turnaround against a Brooklyn team that knocked off the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night and ranks No. 1 in the NBA in defensive rating over its last 10 games.
Over that 10-game stretch, the Nets are 7-3, and they appear to have a real shot to at least make the play-in this season. On top of that, Brooklyn has covered the spread in seven of its last nine games.
The Wizards, on the other hand, are just 14-15 against the spread as home underdogs and a dreadful 2-7 against the spread on the second night of a back-to-back. With the Nets really stepping up on defense, I can’t get behind Washington’s league worst offense to win this game.
Denver Nuggets -5.5 (-108) vs. Indiana Pacers – 0.5 unit
The Denver Nuggets suffered a tough loss on Saturday night at home against the Los Angeles Lakers, but they may be in a prime bounce-back spot on the road on Monday.
Denver is under .500 against the spread as a road favorite, but it is facing an Indiana Pacers team that is playing the second night of a back-to-back, a spot that it is just 2-6 against the spread in this season.
The Pacers have won three games in a row and seven of their last 10, but they have just a +1.4 net rating over that stretch. Indiana, like Denver, relies on an elite offense to get wins, but the Nuggets outrank the Pacers in offensive rating this season.
I also question Indiana’s depth at center (an issue all season long) when it comes to guard Nikola Jokic.
The Nuggets had won nine games in a row before the Lakers loss, and they have a rest advantage in this matchup. Since this is a shorter spread, I don’t mind laying the points with Denver on Monday.
