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 Saturday, February 8th. 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 8th
NBA Best Bets Today – February 8th
San Antonio Spurs at Orlando Magic – 7:00 pm ET
I have made it pretty clear on my VSiN spots this week that I’m extremely high on this Spurs team. I’m not sure San Antonio has the time it needs to turn the season around and be a true contender in the West, but I did put in a 100-1 sprinkle on the team to win the conference. I just think that the Spurs now have a top-five offensive team in the league, and I trust that they’re going to be able to build out an average defense soon. However, this is the second night of a back-to-back for San Antonio, and it’s one in which the team fought tooth and nail to erase a 19-point Charlotte lead. And it ultimately ended with De’Aaron Fox hitting a game-winning shot, but replay review showed that he released the ball 0.1 seconds late. Now, the Spurs have to travel to Orlando and play their third game in four nights, and they’re doing so against a Magic team that is third in the league in adjusted defensive rating (108.8) and 29th in pace (96.5). Orlando is going to slow this game down and turn it into an absolute war. And I believe the Magic have a great shot at winning.
Orlando actually has one of the few players in the league that can give Victor Wembanyama trouble, so look out for Jonathan Isaac and his otherworldly defense here. The Magic would be wise to find him closer to 25 minutes and a big role as a small-ball five here. But even if they don’t go that route, I trust Orlando’s defensive infrastructure in this game. I also believe Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero can get whatever they want offensively against a San Antonio team that is currently weakest defending the wing.
Orlando is also 48-18 straight-up as a home favorite under Jamahl Mosley. This team really doesn’t lose games it’s supposed to win at home.
Bet: Magic ML (-145 – 2 units)
Oklahoma City Thunder at Memphis Grizzlies – 8:00 pm ET
Everybody seems to think it’s a foregone conclusion that the Thunder are going to win the Western Conference, but we’re going to learn a lot tonight. I have a future on this Memphis team to win the conference, and I genuinely think a healthy Grizzlies squad can give the Thunder a run. Having said that, I’m also putting my money where my mouth is here. When the injury report is clean, I don’t think Memphis should be available at plus-money odds against anybody at FedExForum. It’s relatively clean tonight.
This season, the Grizzlies have a home net rating of +11.5. That’s slightly higher than the Thunder’s road net rating of +10.6. Also, while Chet Holmgren returned last night, it does appear the talented two-way star is on a minutes restriction. We also aren’t sure he’s going to play the second night of a back-to-back. So, we’re not seeing the fully unlocked version of Oklahoma City here. But even if he does play — and play big minutes — Jaren Jackson Jr. is fully capable of winning that head-to-head matchup. I also feel very good about Ja Morant doing well in his duel with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
It’s also just hard to overlook that Memphis is 6-1 SU in home games with lines of +3 to -3 this year. The Grizzlies are also playing their first game since Wednesday, so they’re going to be the better rested team here.
Bet: Grizzlies ML (+118 – 1.5 units)
NBA Player Props Today – February 8th
New Orleans Pelicans at Sacramento Kings – 10:00 pm ET
Our VSiN NBA prop bet analyzer shows that Domantas Sabonis has made at least one 3 in 36 of the 48 games he has played this season. That’s at least one 3 in 75.0% of the games Sabonis has played. However, Sabonis’ -175 odds to make at least one triple tonight gives him an implied probability of 63.9% that he’ll make one. To me, it looks like there’s a pretty significant edge on the Over, even if there’s always some risk that comes with playing something this heavily juiced. Of course, Sabonis has cooled down a little as a 3-point shooter, as he hasn’t made two or more 3s in a game since January 22nd. However, he has made at least one in back-to-back games, and he has also done so in 16 of his last 17 games. On top of that, Sabonis shoots 48.2% from 3 when playing at the Golden 1 Center. So, he’s back in comfortable surroundings and should be confident letting a couple fly. Sabonis also happens to be playing a Pelicans team that is allowing more made 3s per game (14.2) than all but four teams.
Bet: Sabonis Over 0.5 Made 3s (-175)
Utah Jazz at Los Angeles Clippers – 10:30pm ET
Isaiah Collier is averaging 14.5 points, 10.0 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game in February, and he’s averaging 17.5 points, 12.0 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game over his last two games. Collier has shown that he can produce in a big way, and he’s starting to look like a massive steal for Utah. Well, Collier is going up against one of the best defensive teams in the NBA tonight, as the Clippers are second in the league in adjusted defensive rating (108.7). But I’m not all that worried about the possibility of Collier putting up a stinker. He’s just so fast with the ball in his hands, so he should be able to get a couple of buckets off that alone. He’s also consistently flirting with double-digit assists, and he’s feisty on the glass for a 6-foot-3 guard. In my opinion, the only thing to worry about here is the Jazz injury report. Utah played without Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton last night, providing Collier with a significant usage rate. We can use a little luck on the injury report here, but it’s not crazy to think he can go Over this mark even if more guards play.
Bet: Collier Over 21.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-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: Bulls Alt Spread +15.5 vs. Warriors & Timberwolves ML vs. Blazers (-132 – 1.5 units)
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2024-25 NBA Record: 236-225-2 (+13.40 units)
