The National Basketball Association (NBA) has a total of 11 games on the slate for Tuesday, including two more nationally-televised games on Peacock. At 7:30 p.m. ET, the New York Knicks pay a visit to the Cleveland Cavaliers in an Eastern Conference showdown, while at 10:00 p.m. ET, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Portland Trail Blazers square off in a Western Conference battle.
Let’s build our bankroll with our best NBA picks & predictions for Tuesday, February 24th.
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Tuesday’s Best NBA Picks & Predictions
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook | All bets are for 1 unit
Oklahoma City Thunder (-126) at Toronto Raptors (+108) | O/U 217.5 (-112/-108)
The Thunder (44-14) and the Raptors (34-23) meet at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto at 7:30 p.m. ET for the second and final meeting of the regular season.
Toronto went into OKC on Jan. 25 and pulled off a 103-101 victory as 11-point underdogs as the Under (224.5) cashed, and that was a game where defending MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was actually still playing. He has since been sidelined due to an abdominal injury. In addition, Jalen Williams has been also missing time due to a similar ailment, and OKC is just treading water trying to stay afloat until both are healthy.
OKC did top the Cleveland Cavaliers 121-113 over the weekend as a 3.5-point underdog while the Over (227.5) cashed, and it is 4-1 straight up (SU) in the past five games, while also going 4-1 against the spread (ATS) in the same span. The Over is 5-2 in the past seven games, too, while going 11-5 across the previous 16 outings.
For the Raptors, they’re coming off of an impressive 122-94 rout at Milwaukee over the weekend, cashing as a 4.5-point favorite while the Under (218.5) cashed. Toronto has won four of the past five games, too, while going 6-1 ATS in the previous seven contests. The Under is on a 4-0 run, while going 8-3 in the previous 11 outings.
Based on the first meeting, and Toronto’s recent run, we’ll go Under on the total. And, venue matters, so we’ll take Toronto on the moneyline. If the Canadian-born SGA were playing, it would be a completely different story.
Picks: Raptors Moneyline (+108) & Under 217.5 Points (-108)
Boston Celtics (-260) at Phoenix Suns (+215) | O/U 210.5 (-110/-110)
The Celtics (37-19) and Suns (33-25) meet at Mortgage Matchup Arena in Phoenix, with a tip time of 9 p.m. ET. Boston is 19-10 on the road this season, while Phoenix is 19-11 at home.
Boston has rattled off four straight victories in this series, sweeping the past two seasons, while also going 4-0 ATS. The C’s are 6-1 ATS in the past seven installments dating back to Dec. 31, 2021, too. In addition, the Under is 4-2 in the past six in the series, while going 7-3 across the past 10 meetings since Feb. 7, 2021.
Boston has picked up three consecutive victories, including a 111-89 win over the Lakers on Sunday, with the total (230.5) easily going well Under. The Celtics have won eight of the past nine games, while going 7-2 ATS in the span. The Under is also 10-2 in the past 12 games.
As far as Phoenix is concerned, it is coming off of an ugly 92-77 loss at home against the Portland Trail Blazers, failing to cover as a 4-point underdog while the Under (224.5) cashed. Devin Booker (hip) and Dillon Brooks (hand) were out, as well as Grayson Allen (knee) and Jordan Goodwin (calf).
Let’s take the Celtics to get the job done on the road, and we’ll go Under for the total based on the series trends, the trends for Boston, and the fact Phoenix could be a bit shorthanded again.
Picks: Celtics -7 (-110) & Under 210.5 Points (-110)
Orlando Magic (+190) at Los Angeles Lakers (-230) | O/U 229.5 (-110/-110)
The Magic (30-26) and Lakers (34-22) meet at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles at 10:30 p.m. ET in the second end of the doubleheader on Peacock.
Orlando wraps up a four-game Western Conference trip in its second stop in Los Angeles. The Magic topped the Clippers 111-109 as a 4-point underdog on Sunday as the Over (215.5) cashed. The Magic are 2-1 SU in the first three stops, while going 2-0-1 ATS, and the only setback was a 113-110 loss in OT in Phoenix on Saturday.
The Magic are 5-2 SU in the past seven games, while going 4-2-1 ATS in the same span, while the Over has cashed at a 3-1 clip in the past four outings, and 5-2 across that same seven-game span.
For the Lakers, they were humiliated at home by the rival Celtics over the weekend, losing 111-89 as 1-point underdogs as the Under (230.5) cashed. The Lakers are just 2-3 SU in the past five games, while going 1-4 ATS. The Over has a slight 3-2 edge, mainly because the defense has struggled. L.A. is allowing 111 or more points in four of the past five games, and each of those five games have been at home.
The Magic swept last season’s series, and they’re 4-0 ATS in the past four meetings, with the Over going 2-0 in last season’s series. Orlando is averaging 119.0 PPG in the past three games against Los Angeles, while allowing just 108.3 PPG.
The good news is that the Lakers are much healthier, with only C Jaxson Hayes (ankle) appearing on the injury report as questionable. The Magic are expected to once again be without F Franz Wagner (ankle), so we’ll back the Lakers lightly, while going Over on the total.
Picks: Lakers -6 (-110) & Over 229.5 Points (-110)
Joe Williams is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Joe, check out his archive and follow him @winwithjoe