The NBA regular season resumes with another excellent slate this Wednesday, with a total of 9 matchups on the docket scheduled for today. So, our staff of basketball betting experts dug into the latest odds and identified all the best value on the board.
Our betting experts have looked over the odds and made 8 NBA picks for tonight's contests. Continue below for our NBA best bets and predictions for Wednesday, February 26.
NBA Best Bets, Predictions, Picks, Odds: Wednesday, February 26
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  | 7.30 p.m. | |
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Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NBA Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
76ers vs. Knicks
By Joe Dellera
The Sixers face off against the Knicks on Wednesday night, and I covered the game in greater detail here.
Paul George is someone to target in this spot. Yes, he has struggled immensely this season; however, one team that has continually provided a boost for him is the New York Knicks.
He has scored 29 and 26 points against them this season and has exceeded this mark in five of his last six games against them. This is due to the Knicks’ propensity to allow open looks to spot-up shooters.
This season, when Embiid has not played, George has averaged 18.1 ppg and has exceeded this line in 50% of games.
The key is that when he does go over, he tends to have strong performances overall, scoring 20+ points in 40% of games. I’ll back PG here against the Knicks.
Pick: Paul George Over 15.5 Points
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76ers vs. Knicks
At the time I'm writing this, the line isn’t even out yet, but this is the bet I want even more than Knicks -9.5.
The Sixers suck, Joel Embiid is out, and this—for me—is the Knicks' bounce-back spot.
The Knicks just got their asses whooped by the Eastern Conference's elite, and we’ve been talking since Sunday about how they’re not on par with the Celtics or Cavs—and it’s true.
But Philly? In Madison Square Garden? Give me the Knicks at anything up to -6.5.
Philly is the worst team in the NBA at covering after a loss, sitting at 10-25-1 ATS. The Kings are the second-worst—and much better—at 10-16-2 ATS.
The Knicks are 11-8 ATS after a loss, ranking in the top 10 in the league. But really, I think this could get out of hand early, though I wouldn’t mind playing both.
Pick: Knicks First Half -5
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Pacers vs. Raptors
This matchup checks a lot of boxes for me.
For starters, the Pacers have lost both of the first two matchups in this season-long series. Obviously, this isn’t baseball, but even in the NBA, a full season sweep of one team is rare.
The Pacers actually lost both games by double digits, so opening as 9.5-point favorites shows a lot of confidence from the oddsmakers.
The Raptors are playing their third game in four nights, including one that went to overtime, and this will be a back-to-back matchup after flying in from Canada. That’s not a lot of rest, especially with the travel factor.
The Pacers rank 10th in the league against the spread (ATS) as a home favorite and 9th when playing with a rest advantage. The Raptors are a bad team, but they’re not a pushover when it comes to covering the spread.
Indiana has a double-revenge scenario here, along with a bounce-back opportunity after losing a home game to the Nuggets on Monday.
The Pacers should come out strong early, looking to respond and dominate the Raptors to avoid getting swept in this series before heading out on a road trip for their next game.
Pick: Pacers -9.5
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Trail Blazers vs. Wizards
The Wizards can apparently beat the Nets, but between those wins—almost three weeks apart—Washington lost six in a row, yet another extended slump in a 10-47 season full of Ls.
The Wiz have managed a few spread covers in recent weeks, but it’s more likely they lose at Capital One Arena, where they’re just 6-24 this season. There’s also the upcoming draft, where Washington has a real shot at the top pick and could likely add Duke’s Cooper Flagg if the dominoes fall right. In the bigger picture for the Wiz, this matchup against Portland isn’t terribly important.
It might mean more for the Blazers, who have won plenty of games lately and still have an outside chance to slip into the Western Conference play-in round. Portland, on a 10-1 SU run earlier this month, has regrouped after a brief slump and won back-to-back games, including a 53-point blowout over Charlotte.
Note: G Anfernee Simons has scored 25 or more in three of the past four games. Play Trail Blazers.
Pick: Trail Blazers -5.5
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Hawks vs. Heat
Ranking 15th in defensive rating this season, no one will mistake the Hawks for having the best defense in the league.
However, they did hold the Heat to just 86 points on Monday—the fewest they’ve allowed in the last four years. Miami shot 32% from the field and 17% from three.
Tyler Herro particularly struggled, scoring just 11 points on 4-for-19 shooting, including 0-for-9 from three, while committing four turnovers.
With another shot at the Hawks tonight, I'd expect Herro to show some positive shooting regression. However, I don’t anticipate he’ll be as fortunate in the turnover department. He has recorded at least three turnovers in eight of his last nine games, clearing this line in five of those contests.
That stretch coincides with Jimmy Butler’s departure from Miami. Herro has taken over as the Heat’s primary ballhandler, turning the ball over in eight of his last 14 games without Butler. Tonight, he’ll also have to deal with Dyson Daniels once again.
Daniels had seven steals in Atlanta’s win on Monday. He leads the league with 3.1 steals per game this season and has been racking them up at a historic rate.
Daniels is listed at 2.5 steals tonight, though slightly juiced, with odds ranging between -154 and -185. Given that he’ll be matched up against Herro, I’ll take the plus odds on Herro’s turnovers here.
Pick: Tyler Herro Over 3.5 Turnovers
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Clippers vs. Bulls
The Clippers are struggling on their long road trip, having lost three of their last four games and failing to cover the spread in any.
They will also be without their top scorer, Powell, and are playing their fourth game in six days. Their recent road record stands at 2-4 against the spread.
The Bulls have ended a six-game losing streak and have a day of rest at home. They’ve covered the spread in their last three games, even as underdogs.
Giddey has been excelling since Zach LaVine's trade, averaging 19.8 points in February.
Take the Bulls with the points.
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Spurs vs. Rockets
Jabari Smith is projected to play 35 minutes tonight. He’s hit the over in 74% of games when playing between 29-38 minutes. This will be his fourth game back from injury, and in his first three, he played 38, 29, and 33 minutes with no limitations.
Power forwards have been dominating the Spurs in the rebound department lately. They are allowing the most rebounds per game to the position over their last 20 games.
Smith is likely to face off against Harrison Barnes, who typically camps in the corner, putting Jabari in a good position to play help defense and be in position for weak-side boards.
We were just on Olynyk's Rebounds + Assists for this same reason, as he grabbed 12 and 15 boards in back-to-back matchups.
Pick: Jabari Smith Over 6.5 Rebounds
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76ers vs. Knicks
Philly enters the game with a disappointing 20-37 record—no team in the NBA has underperformed more this season. The 76ers are currently 2.5 games behind the final play-in spot and are desperately trying to break out of their slump, having lost eight straight games and nine of their last ten. Despite their struggles, Tyrese Maxey continues to shine, leading the team with 27.1 points and 6.0 assists per game.
On the other side, New York comes in with a strong 37-20 record, placing them third in the East and just 3.5 games behind the Celtics for the second seed. However, despite their overall success, the Knicks have hit a rough patch, dropping back-to-back games, including Sunday’s 118-105 loss to Boston. Leading the charge for New York is former Villanova standout Jalen Brunson, who averages 26.0 points and 7.4 assists per game.
Given the circumstances, we’re getting too many points with the 76ers tonight. I anticipate a tightly contested, back-and-forth matchup that favors the underdog. After enduring an eight-game losing streak, Philly will come out playing desperate basketball, making them a compelling pick. According to our Action Pro report, there’s value in the 76ers tonight, as the spread is set at -10 in favor of New York.
Pick: 76ers +10
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