Now that the weekend is here, it’s time to simplify the grind. Instead of splitting sides/totals and player props into separate pieces, my weekend columns will bring everything under one roof — a streamlined look at my favorite bets for the day’s slate. Fewer words, hopefully the same results. Keep reading for my NBA picks and predictions for Sunday, February 22.
RELATED: Check out the Pro Picks page for more selections from our talented VSiN hosts and analysts!
NBA Best Bets Today (Sides/Totals)
PARLAY: Cavaliers ML vs. Thunder & Nuggets ML vs. Warriors (+124)
Cavaliers at Thunder – 1:00 pm ET
Nuggets at Warriors – 3:30 pm ET
The Thunder aren’t just missing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams — they’re also without Ajay Mitchell and Alex Caruso. That means that this team is completely depleted when it comes to perimeter shot creation, making it hard to imagine them keeping up with the Cavaliers duo of James Harden and Donovan Mitchell. Cleveland has performed like a league-best offense in the four games the team has played with Harden, and the defense will continue to look sharper as Evan Mobley gets more comfortable in his return from a calf strain. With that in mind, I like the Cavaliers to handle their business today, but I’m not laying the points out of respect for the Paycom Center environment. Instead, I’m pairing Cleveland moneyline with Denver moneyline, as I don’t see the Warriors beating the Nuggets with Stephen Curry sidelined.
Celtics at Lakers OVER 227.5 (-120)
Celtics at Lakers – 6:30 pm ET
It’s always exciting when these storied rivals clash, and I love that they’ll be doing so on the NBC platform. This will have a big-game feel, making for a good NBA showcase on a day in which hockey was the center of attention early. However, this is a game in which defense could be optional. The Celtics are second in the NBA in adjusted offensive rating (119.8), while the Lakers are eighth (116.5). Both teams are also outside of the top-15 in adjusted defensive rating, and Los Angeles is actually damn close to being at the bottom of the league. So, even though the Celtics do play at a very slow pace, I think this will turn into a high-scoring affair. The Over has hit in two consecutive Boston games, and it has also hit in three of the last four Los Angeles games.
Bulls +10.5 (-110) vs. Knicks
Knicks at Bulls – 8:00 pm ET
It’s going to be hard to trust some tanking teams the rest of the year, but it does seem like the Bulls are playing harder than the rest. Billy Donovan just isn’t going to allow his team to stop playing hard, even if he’s forced to play some wacky lineup combinations. Well, as long as the Bulls show some fight tonight, they should keep things close against the Knicks. New York just looks lost defensively right now, and the team’s comeback win over Houston last night isn’t going to make things any easier. There’ a good chance the Knicks show up with dead legs tonight, making life a little easier on a Bulls team that actually has some firepower when looking at the backcourt options. Chicago is also weakest at the center spot, and New York hasn’t been able to make teams pay for that weakness lately.
NBA Player Props Today
Bennedict Mathurin Over 21.5 Points (-110) vs. Magic
Magic at Clippers – 9:00 pm ET
Mathurin is averaging 32.0 points per game over the last two contests. I’m not sure I see him going for another 30 tonight, but Kawhi Leonard is questionable and Darius Garland remains out. That means Mathurin should have a pretty hefty workload again, and he’ll have it against a Magic team that is coming off a double-overtime loss to the Suns last night. Mathurin’s burst and athleticism could be tough for Orlando to contain with tired legs, and this is also a defense that ranks 28th in the NBA in defending pull-up jumpers. Well, Mathurin scores 40% of his points on pull-ups, so he should enjoy this matchup — especially with the Magic being a bottom-five team defending in isolation, too.
Additional Plays (Late Adds, Teasers, Parlays, Futures)
Bobby Portis Over 12.5 Points (-121) – Portis is averaging 20.6 points per game when playing at home without Giannis Antetokounmpo. He loves this building and these fans, who treat him like royalty. Portis also had 24 points against the Raptors on December 18, and Toronto’s defense is pretty vulnerable against bigs that can score.
Ayo Dosunmu Over 3.5 Assists (-109) – Dosunmu is only averaging 2.8 assists per game since arriving in Minnesota, but I like this matchup for him. Chris Finch will likely need to play Dosunmu a little more than usual, as his defense will be needed against an explosive Philadelphia backcourt. Well, that 76ers backcourt also happens to be exploitable defensively, so I like Dosunmu to create some advantages with his ability to attack off the bounce.
Collin Gillespie Over 28.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-118) – With the Suns having played a double-overtime game last night, I can’t imagine the team will be eager to play Jalen Green and Grayson Allen. Both players have been dealing with injuries. Well, if one — or both — of those guys sits out, Phoenix will have to lean on Gillespie heavily with Devin Booker already out.
2025-26 NBA Record: 346-333 (+3.79 units)
