With the Association back in full swing, we try to find value for Friday's eight-game slate on Feb. 24. Read on for our NBA picks and predictions based on the latest odds.
The NBA is back and teams are looking to solidify their identity in 2023, either chasing play-in spots, fighting for playoff seeding, or acknowledging that their season is a wrap and building for 2024. There's value to be found somewhere and we are here to find it.
Friday's slate features eight games and includes an ESPN matchup between the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks, a rare national TV game for the Oklahoma City Thunder against the transitioning Phoenix Suns, and a late-night potential playoff preview between the Sacramento Kings and the Los Angeles Clippers.
Here are our NBA best bets for Friday (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook, BetMGM, and Caesars; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Check out our NBA picks and our best NBA betting sites.
Friday's NBA schedule and odds
(Odds via DraftKings)
- New York Knicks (-1.5) vs. Washington Wizards
- Miami Heat (+1.5) vs. Milwaukee Bucks
- Cleveland Cavaliers (+1) vs. Atlanta Hawks
- Charlotte Hornets (+6) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
- Brooklyn Nets (+2) vs. Chicago Bulls
- Oklahoma City Thunder (+7) vs. Phoenix SUns
- Houston Rockets (+10.5) vs. Golden State Warriors
- Sacramento Kings (+6.5) vs. Los Angeles Clippers
Friday's NBA best bets
- Spread: Thunder +7 (-110 via Caesars) vs. Suns ???
- Total: Heat-Bucks Under 219.5 (-110 via FanDuel) ???
- Player prop: Russell Westbrook 1st quarter Over 1.5 assists (+140 via DraftKings) ????
- Player prop SGP: Kyle Anderson four-plus rebounds and Timberwolves ML (-125 via FanDuel) ????
Check out our NBA Finals odds and NBA MVP odds.
NBA top picks for Friday
The Thunder fought in overtime on Thursday just to lose by one point on the road. On Friday, they have to travel to Phoenix to face a well-rested Suns team on national television. However, this 7-point spread is still an overreaction.
On the season, the Thunder are 35-21-2 ATS (NBA-best cover rate), 19-10-0 ATS following a loss (NBA-best), and 10-6-0 ATS with the rest disadvantage. They are nearly fully healthy today, which means defensive-minded wings Luguentz Dort and Kenrich Williams are available to lock down the Suns' scorers, limited today since Kevin Durant has yet to make his team debut.
On the offens ive end of the floor, the Thunder pacing the NBA in drives per game bodes well against a Suns team that has been mediocre guarding the paint and mid-range areas since the blockbuster trade involving Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson. Combine that with positive regression shooting the ball and all signs point to the hungry Thunder keeping it close.
This line has crept lower and lower over the course of the morning for good reason, and it's time to bite before it plummets further. Former MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss this nationally-televised game, but Milwaukee's defense should be able to hold up without him. On-ball defensive pressure maestros Jrue Holiday and Jevon Carter are healthy and rim-protector Brook Lopez should have himself plenty of opportunities to shine, especially against a Miami offense that has been inconsistent shooting the ball all year long.
The Heat will likely start their top defensive lineup featuring Gabe Vincent, Jimmy Butler, Caleb Martin, and Bam Adebayo. On Friday's contest, backup lockdown guard Victor Oladipo and versatile defender Haywood Highsmith will also be available for the Heat. The Heat have already faced a Bucks team missing Antetokounmpo twice this season, and the total soared Under this number both times.
The All-Star Break served as much-needed rest for both teams to lock in on defense and that makes it easy to back this play.
The Clippers have been lacking a true point guard all season long. While Russell Westbrook does not provide the MVP-caliber offensive production he once did, there is a reason Paul George recruited him after the trade deadline and it's why he is starting on Friday. And that is Westbrook's playmaking ability.
This season, Westbrook recorded at least two first quarter assists in two of his three starts for the Lakers and now he gets to play with a higher quantity of capable scorers around him. He'll move from the dynamic scoring duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis to the superstar duo of George and Kawhi Leonard. Marcus Morris and Mason Plumlee also provide the ability to finish either via the mid-range and the dunk, respectively. Especially with the coaching upgrade to Ty Lue, the Clippers are a better-built offense for Westbrook to complete assists than the pre-deadline Lakers.
The Kings provide a good matchup as well. Over their last seven games, Sacramento has allowed the 10th-most assists per game to point guards and the third-most overall. They are also on the second leg of a back-to-back, which means the defense could start off a tad sluggish.
The Timberwolves have been a disappointment over the course of the season, especially when it comes to getting the job done when they are favored. However, the Hornets should be an easy draw for them.
These teams have already played each other once this season, when both teams were essentially fully healthy. The Timberwolves lost that contest in Charlotte by two points, thanks to an abysmal 22% shooting from deep.
Meanwhile, the Hornets have won two straight games in which they shot a combined 47.2% from long range. Both should self-correct on Friday, especially since the Hornets are the inferior shooting team (dead-last in the NBA in 3-point percentage). Charlotte is 5-23 straight up this season when they are underdogs on the road.
Kyle Anderson should be heavily involved in this Minnesota win. Not only has he provided rare versatility on their roster all season long, but he has also been one of the best clutch performers for the Timberwolves recently.
This season, the Hornets have allowed the fourth-most rebounds per game to po wer forwards and Anderson has recorded at least four boards in 15 of his 20 starts alongside Rudy Gobert. Construct this correlated same-game parlay using two legs over at FanDuel for a better payout.
NBA best bets made 02/24/2023 at 2:15 p.m. ET.
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- DraftKings: Bet $5, Get $150 in Bonus Bets | Read our DraftKings Review
- PointsBet: Earn Five Second-Chance Bets Up to $50 Each | Read our PointsBet Review
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