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, March 1st. 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 March 1st
NBA Best Bets Today – March 1st
San Antonio Spurs at Memphis Grizzlies – 8:00 pm ET
The Spurs are missing a gigantic two-way presence with Victor Wembanyama out for the season, but this team is still capable of remaining competitive moving forward. And honestly, the Spurs should be able to give the Grizzlies a game tonight. San Antonio hasn’t played since Wednesday, when the team lost by 12 against Houston. That means the Spurs have had two full days of rest to prepare for a Grizzlies team that suffered an extremely tight loss against the Knicks last night. This is just a brutal spot for Memphis. And San Antonio is 3-0 both straight-up and against the spread when playing with two days of rest this season. That said, I expect Chris Paul and De’Aaron Fox to knife through this Grizzlies defense, making good plays for themselves and their teammates. I can also see some of the Spurs wings getting themselves going. Keldon Johnson has been great since Wembanyama got injured.
Bet: Spurs +9.5 (-110 – 2 units)
Golden State Warriors at Philadelphia 76ers – 8:30 pm ET
I hate myself for wanting to back Philadelphia, but this is a lot of points. I know Joel Embiid is out for the season, and perhaps that will have a negative impact on the mental stability of an already-fragile Sixers team. However, Embiid being out might also provide this Philadelphia team with some clarity. There’s no more stop-and-start stuff when it comes to rotations. Nick Nurse can build some consistency with this new group, and everybody on the team will be empowered to do a little more. Players usually respond well to that.
We actually just saw the Sixers play the Knicks close in Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, losing by five in a game in which Paul George played one of his best games of the year. Well, I can’t help but think we’re going to see another solid effort from the Sixers. While the Warriors have looked superb defensively since acquiring Jimmy Butler, I’m still not sold on this being an upper-echelon Western Conference team. I’m specifically worried about them offensively. Steph Curry might have went for 56 last game, but that’s not going to happen every night. And it’s hard to win games by wide margins without executing offensively. That’s a big part of the reason why I think this game will be close.
It’s also not a guarantee that Butler will be out there tonight. He’s listed as questionable this evening. And Golden State is still without Jonathan Kuminga.
Bet: 76ers +8.5 (-115 – 1.5 units)
NBA Player Props Today – March 1st
Washington Wizards at Charlotte Hornets – 7:00 pm ET
In February, Kyshawn George averaged 10.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. The rookie has been blistering hot from 3, shooting 44.4% from deep over the last 10 games. George has also been doing good work as a rebounder, and he’s a sound playmaker when given a chance to create. That said, going Over a combined total of 18.5 points, rebounds and assists seems very reasonable in a good matchup against the Hornets. George just has to find a way to avoid foul trouble, and he also needs to avoid any bone-headed mistakes that might force Brian Keefe to sit him for extended stretches. The only thing that can really get in George’s way tonight is playing fewer than 30 minutes. However, it has happened recently and that’s why I’m not going bigger on this. If I knew he was getting good minutes, I would have considered making this a play to win 1.5 or 2 units. I really like what George has done lately and I expect him to thrive against an unorganized Charlotte defense.
Bet: George Over 18.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-105)
Milwaukee Bucks at Dallas Mavericks – 8:30 pm ET
Kyrie Irving has been lighting things up offensively for Dallas lately. That’s not surprising for one of the most gifted offensive players in the NBA — especially with a bigger on-ball role now that Luka Doncic is in Los Angeles. But what is somewhat surprising is that Irving has had at least two steals in back-to-back games, and he also had multiple steals in five of the nine games he played in February. Well, I’m thinking that’s more of a sign of things to come than some sort of fluke. Jason Kidd is clearly asking Irving to be more engaged defensively, as the team needs to lean into a defensive-minded identity with this current roster. That said, I believe there’s real value in grabbing Irving to have two steals at plus-money odds tonight.
Bet: Irving Over 1.5 Steals (+132)
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.
________________________________________________
2024-25 NBA Record: 270-273-2 (-2.15 units)
