Two of three bets were correct yesterday as Isaiah Hartenstein and the New York Kncks pulled a massive bluff, and caught several bettors. He was announced healthy, was in the starting lineup, and only played ten minutes and forty-eight seconds! 

That should be criminal, but yesterday’s column did state he would cover this prop if he played seventeen minutes or more, yet he failed drastically short of that set mark. All is well, we still Meat Loaf(ed) it, and that ain’t bad. Fantasy Alarm NBA Best Bets is feeling the momentum and will be placing winners!

 

There are ten games across the NBA today, and fourteen teams playing in the second of back-to-back games – fourteen! This column will take advantage of teams playing in those games for betting purposes. The Cleveland Cavaliers play the Philadelphia 76ers as both teams are playing back-to-back games and a straight bet wager will be placed. 

There is a new face making an appearance on the column today, as the Los Angeles Clippers play in their second road game in as many nights against the well-rested Memphis Grizzlies. There is a plus odds player prop in that match. The Bet of the Night is once again a Fantasy Alarm favorite, as the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers play their second game in as many nights.

Expert NBA Best Bet Today, 2/23

Victor Wembanyama Player Props: Over 2.5 Blocks (-150 at DraftKings) *2 UNITS

Welcome back young man. Victor Wembanyama could be this column’s most bet on player. He’s electrifying to watch, has made great improvements since the beginning of the year, and on a day that is several people’s payday he is the ATM handing out cash every visit. Wembanyama is simply unlike anything the NBA has seen. 

The blocking prop bet has been the best betting angle for Wembanyama, and we are back on it with two units tonight. He has one-hundred and fifty-six blocks on the season and has covered this prop in three straight games. The sportsbooks are hesitant to move this line but will move the odds. 

The Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs are playing in back-to-back games, but Wembanyama is twenty, and the Lakers may go deeper into their bench than normal. The Lakers also are a tall team, and taller players rely on their height and are underestimating Wembanyama’s reach. 

He is currently playing for pride, for improvement, for experience, and for the Rookie of the Year Award. Any game against LeBron James has a special meaning as players do not have many more games against him. Wembanyama averages a league leading 3.2 blocks per game, two units on a bet that needs an average is a smart bet.

 

NBA Player Prop Bet for Today, 2/23

Santi Aldama Player Props: Over 5.5 Rebounds (+112 at FanDuel)

Yesterday’s rebounding prop (turned into a same game parlay) was third quarter cash (and the money line was locked at that time too). Today we find a rebounding prop at positive odds without a parlay needed. Santi Aldama of the Memphis Grizzlies makes his first appearance, and for good reason. 

His minutes have increased in the last month, and he is the starting power forward for the Grizzlies. Ivica Zubac, the Los Angeles Clippers starting center, is an excellent rebounder, but he played over twenty-nine minutes last night. The Clippers have players notoriously known to rest in back-to-back games, and they suffered a tough loss at Oklahoma City. Aldama is seven foot tall, twenty-three years old, and has not played in over a week. 

He should be well rested and have an advantage over the older Clippers forwards, Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. Aldama’s average is exactly at 5.5, and he should get meaningful minutes tonight, either against tired starters or inexperienced bench players. We are putting faith on a new player to the column with one unit.

 

Expert NBA Prediction Today, 2/23

Cavaliers vs. 76ers Prediction: Cleveland Money Line (-156 at FanDuel)

The Cleveland Cavaliers hit the road after a tough loss at home last night. The Philadelphia 76ers are playing their second of back-to-back games and are coming off a loss as well. The Cavaliers have won eighteen of their last twenty-one games, and that has moved them into second place of the Eastern Conference. 

The Philadelphia 76ers have lost seven of their last ten, two in a row, and are simply not the same team without Joel Embiid. To be fair most teams would look different without a league MVP though. Cleveland has a legitimate chance to be the second seed of the Eastern Conference playoffs, and they currently have the second-best point differential in the conference with +5.5. 

They will need to beat Philadelphia tonight, as the 76ers are one of the three losses in the previously mentioned twenty-one games. They also only have a two-game lead over the Milwaukee Bucks, and three game lead over the New York Knicks. Donovan Mitchell did not play last night because of an illness, and he is listed questionable tonight, but expected to play. Put a unit down on the favorites as Philadelphia looks like a team headed for the play-in at best.

 

DraftKings NBA Special Today, 2/23

Damian Lillard & Karl-Anthony Towns: Combine for 5+ Threes Made (-135 Odds) 

DraftKings has a special, found under the NBA section, and on the furthest tab to the right titled ‘DK SPECIAL’. It is for two of the best three-point shooters in the league, one being the back-to-back three-point contest winner, to make five or more three-point attempts. The truth is that both Damian Lillard and Karl-Anthony Towns are capable of making five on their own, but combined this seems like a ‘gimme’ or a sure thing. 

There is a fifty percent boost on DraftKings to apply to any NBA bet, with a $25 max. If you prefer you can put it on this bet, but personally I will be applying it to an NBA Futures bet to maximize my boost. Whatever you do, do not waste the free 50% boost to use on any NBA bet of your choosing. For the purpose of the tally, this bet is placed at one unit.

Thanks for reading. Remember to check out Fantasy Alarm for all your fantasy and betting needs across multiple sports. 

Bet Smart, Be Lucky - Iggy

*All Bets to be placed at 1 unit unless specified otherwise