We’re more than halfway into the 2024-25 NBA season. I’ll continue giving out NBA best bets and player props here as often as possible, and I’ll also occasionally write up features on big news that shakes up the league. So, make sure you check out my work throughout the season. With that out of the way, let’s get into some NBA best bets and NBA player props for Monday, February 24th. Also, make sure you check out the picks page (linked right below) before games tip off. I occasionally add picks throughout the day.
MORE: Check out our Pro Picks page for everything our experts have on February 24th
NBA Best Bets Today – February 24th
IMPORTANT NOTE (1:15 pm ET): If you’re just coming to this story now, stick to the Aaron Gordon and Jusuf Nurkic player props and two-leg parlay for tonight. I’m stuck with Clippers -2.5 and Jazz +5.5, but Leonard, Powell, Markkanen and Kessler have all been ruled out for tonight. That’s every single questionable player I mentioned for the two sides I’m on. I wouldn’t be looking to play the Clippers anymore. For the Jazz, I’d need +7.5 to add a new position on them.
Los Angeles Clippers at Detroit Pistons – 7:00 pm ET
Both of these teams are playing the second legs of back-to-backs, but not all back-to-backs are created equal. Last night, while the Clippers were unable to beat the Indiana Pacers, the team rested Kawhi Leonard and Norman Powell. So, if those two end up shedding questionable tags and playing tonight, they should be a bit fresher than the Pistons. Detroit played an outrageous game against the Atlanta Hawks last night, winning 148-143 in an uptempo showdown. Sure, the Pistons are a young team and they shouldn’t be beaten up too bad, but that type of game has to take some type of toll on a team.
It’s also just hard not to like the Clippers to completely stifle the Pistons with their elite defense. Los Angeles is third in the league in adjusted defensive rating (109.0) and Detroit is just 16th in adjusted offensive rating (112.9). So, this is a great defense going against a mediocre offense. Los Angeles should even have an answer for Cade Cunningham, as the Clippers have a ton of length and athleticism on the wing — and a high-level backline defender in Ivica Zubac.
The only reason I’m not going looking to win 1.5 or 2 units on this is the injury report. While it’s possible Leonard and Powell will be out there, Ty Lue definitely didn’t sound all that enthused while talking about their statuses before the game last night. So, there’s a legitimate shot we find out neither guy is going and we’re stuck with an awful number. But it is worth noting that the team that played the Pacers last night can probably beat the Pistons. Detroit doesn’t have the same type of firepower Indiana does.
Bet: Clippers -2.5 (-108)
Portland Trail Blazers at Utah Jazz – 9:00 pm ET
The Jazz also have a troubling injury report, as Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler are questionable. In addition to that, Collin Sexton and John Collins remain out. Hopefully Markkanen and Kessler end up making it into the lineup tonight. If they do, Utah will have a great shot at winning this game outright. However, even if they don’t, I’ll be alright with having 5.5 with the guys the Jazz will have on the court.
The reality is that the Blazers are just 27th in the NBA in road net rating (-7.5) this season. And while Portland has been a completely different team as of late, the team’s road net rating over its last 15 games is still just -3.6. Meanwhile, Utah has a home net rating of -3.3 over its last 15 games. That said, I’m not sure the Jazz should be getting 5.5. I would have thought this line would be closer to 3.5, and Steve Makinen has an estimated line of 4.2 on our matchup pages.
Naturally, having no Markkanen and Kessler would make a lot of those numbers pointless. But Utah is a little more talented than people think, and that’s especially true in the backcourt. Keyonte George and Isaiah Collier should be able to make a lot happen against a mediocre Portland defensive backcourt. I also tend to trust coaching trends in a big way, and it’s hard not to like the ones I’m seeing for the Jazz here. Under Chauncey Billups, the Blazers are just 6-9 both straight-up and against the spread as road favorites of 6 or less. They’re also just 2-5 both SU and ATS after scoring 136 or more in their previous game. Meanwhile, the Jazz are 41-26-1 ATS as home underdogs under Will Hardy. They’re also 17-19 SU and 24-11-6 ATS as home underdogs of 6 or less. On top of that, they’re 28-19 SU and 28-18-1 ATS versus teams that are outscored by 3.0 or more points per game. So, Utah tends to get the better of other bad teams. Coaching is a big part of that. Hardy is a stud when it comes to X’s and O’s and getting his players up for games.
Bet: Jazz +5.5 (-108 – 1.5 units) & Jazz ML (+178 – 0.5 units)
NBA Player Props Today – February 24th
Denver Nuggets at Indiana Pacers – 7:00 pm ET
I’m grabbing some plus-money odds on Aaron Gordon to go Over 5.5 rebounds tonight. In the two games Denver has played since the All-Star break, Gordon is averaging 33.5 minutes per game and 6.0 rebounds per game. It’s pretty clear he’s healthy again, making this a number he should start regularly hitting. After all, Gordon averaged at least 6.5 rebounds per game in back-to-back seasons before this one. Also, over the last two games, Gordon is averaging 8.0 rebound chances per game. And his rebound chance % has been 75.0%, so six boards seems very reasonable to expect moving forward. I also just like that the Pacers are fifth in the league in pace of play (100.9) and the Nuggets are sixth (100.8). The more possessions and shots there are in this game, the more likely it is that Gordon will grab some boards.
Bet: Gordon Over 5.5 Rebounds (+115)
Additional Plays
This is where I’ll include any late added plays, teasers/parlays or in-season futures. Come back before tip if you don’t want to miss anything. It’s always possible I’ll add something to my card.
PARLAY: Nuggets ML vs. Pacers & Wizards Alt +10.5 vs. Nets (+100 – 1.5 units) – With the Pacers coming off a meeting with the Clippers last night, the Nuggets should be able to bounce back from Saturday’s loss to the Lakers. Denver has had some time to rest and should be looking to get back in the win column, and this is a matchup that the Nuggets should enjoy. While the Pacers have made some improvements defensively, stopping Nikola Jokic and the league’s second best offense (119.1 aORTG) will be a challenge — especially with tired legs.
In the other game, I liked the Wizards at +3.5 and decided to lay off that number. But with an alternate line of 10.5, I feel pretty good about Washington getting the job done. The Nets have been remarkable defensively lately, but I’m not sure I see them generating good enough offense to win by more than 10 on the road. Brooklyn is just 27th in the NBA in adjusted offensive rating (108.5). Also, this Washington team is a little more talented than you might think after the deadline.
Jusuf Nurkic Over 18.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-127 – 1.5 units) vs. Kings
Zaccharie Risacher To Win Rookie of the Year (16-1 – 0.5 units) – I texted JVT and Kelley Bydlon last Thursday about putting something down on Risacher to win ROY. That was when the best available number was 14-1. I ultimately ended up forgetting to put it in, but I locked in some 16-1 this morning. I’m still thinking it’ll be Stephon Castle that ends up winning this thing, and I’d be plenty happy with that as somebody that backed him at 10-1. However, Risacher has scored in double figures in 10 of his last 11 games. And there’s more where that came from now that Jalen Johnson is out for the year and De’Andre Hunter is playing for the Cavaliers. Risacher just isn’t competing with as many other wings for opportunities, and he is starting to look more and more comfortable as a scorer. Last night, Risacher had 19 points on 5 for 10 shooting from the floor and 4 for 6 shooting from 3. A couple more performances like that and people will start talking.
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2024-25 NBA Record: 258-261-2 (-4.91 units)
