Saturday’s NBA slate is loaded with 11 games running from 3:00 p.m. ET ’til midnight. I’ve got three prop bets for the action.
The pregame narrative: Zion Williamson holds value to fill the basket in a plus matchup while Austin Reaves is worth fading against a stingy defence. Elsewhere, I’m backing Nikola Jokic to hit a pair of 3s against the Phoenix Suns.
Check out the best NBA prop bets for Feb. 8.
Best NBA prop bets
Best bet: Reaves under 26.5 points (-125)
I’m a huge fan of Reaves’ game but this line is a bridge too far, even with LeBron James doubtful to play.
The dynamic shooting guard is averaging 18.5 PPG (a career-best) and has gone under this mark in 10 straight games. LeBron played in all of those contests but Reaves doesn’t clear this number often with the King out of the lineup:
- Reaves is averaging 19.7 PPG in his last 15 games without James.
- He’s 2-13 against this line in those contests, scoring 20 or fewer points 10 times.
It’s worth noting Anthony Davis played in some of those games and he’s no longer in the mix. Luka Doncic isn’t ready to go, either, so Reaves should be the alpha dog on Saturday.
Still, the Indiana Pacers have hit their defensive stride and I expect them to key in on Reaves.
Indiana has the fourth-best defensive rating in the NBA since Jan. 1 while allowing the ninth-fewest points per game.
Key stat: Reaves is 0-4 against this line lifetime versus the Pacers while averaging 14.0 PPG.
Quick picks
Williamson over 25.5 points (-118): The biggest knock on Williamson is his durability. But when the big man plays, he’s a force to be reckoned with.
Zion has nine games under his belt since returning from injury on Jan. 7 and the results have been encouraging:
- 23.7 PPG
- 56.2 FG%
- 28+ points in four of his last five
Williamson appears to be on some kind of minutes restriction — he hasn’t played north of 30 minutes since returning — but that hasn’t slowed him down lately.
And tonight, he gets to go up against a Sacramento Kings team that allows the fourth-most points per game to power forwards.
Jokic over 1.5 threes (-188): Making bets with these odds is understandably not for everyone, but I’ll bite.
Jokic is having his best offensive season yet and is averaging career highs in 3-point makes (2.1) and attempts (4.5). That nets out to a 46.2 3PT%, which ranks No. 2 in the league.
He’s gone over this mark in five of his last six games and cleared this mark in both contests against the Suns this year.
Phoenix is playing on a back-to-back after losing in overtime on Friday, which means there’s some blowout potential here. But this line doesn’t ask a lot of Jokic, so I’m not worried.
Picks made at 9:21 a.m. ET on 02/08/2025.
Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.