Two guards headline Sunday’s NBA prop bets.
The pregame narrative: Russell Westbrook will have an outsized opportunity to produce against the Houston Rockets with Nikola Jokic sidelined — but I’m still fading his lofty PRA total. Elsewhere, back Quentin Grimes to keep scoring.
Check out the best NBA prop bets for March 23.
NBA prop bets
Best bet: Westbrook under 23.5 points/assists (-120)
Westbrook is averaging 12.3 points and 6.3 assists this season, putting him well below this total.
Obviously, he’ll have more chances to produce without Jokic, which is baked into this higher-than-usual line.
But Westbrook has gone under this mark more often than not without the three-time MVP and draws a nightmare matchup against the Rockets.
- Westbrook is averaging 14.8 and 6.2 assists (21.0 P/A) in nine games without Jokic this season. In those contests, he is 4-5 vs. this line.
- Houston allows the eighth-fewest points and fourth-fewest assists to shooting guards per game, according to Fantasy Pros.
The Rockets have the fifth-best defensive rating since the all-star break (12-4 record) and should dictate the pace of this game with Jokic out.
Key stat: Westbrook has gone under this mark in three of his last four games without Jokic.
Best NBA picks
Grimes over 26.5 points (-118): Grimes is on a Linsanity-type run for the Philadelphia 76ers.
The sixth-year journeyman guard was acquired just before the trade deadline and has been the team’s leading scorer in March with Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid sidelined:
- 28.2 PPG
- 19.6 FGA/game
- 52.9/40.9/71.0
- 25+ points in 9 of 11 games
Grimes is shooting the ball a ton, which has raised his scoring floor considerably. What makes this even more remarkable is that he was averaging just 10.2 PPG in 47 appearances with the Dallas Mavericks.
Tonight, his 76ers take on an Atlanta Hawks team allowing the third-most PPG to shooting guards.
NBA prop picks made at 10:10 a.m. ET on 03/23/2025.
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.