The NBA board for Friday is headlined by a clash between the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers, and I'm expecting Evan Mobley to have a big game for the home side.
My NBA picks are also backing breakout forward Ausar Thompson while betting on Isaiah Collier to have a rough night against an elite Thunder defense. Here are my best free NBA player props for Friday, February 21.
Best NBA player props today
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Evan Mobley o16.5 points (-110 at bet365) -
Ausar Thompson o14.5 points + assists (-115 at bet365) -
Isaiah Collier Over 3.5 turnovers (-120 at bet365)
NBA player props for February 21
Evan Mobley Over 16.5 points (-120 at bet365)
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley is coming off his first All-Star appearance and is averaging 18.5 points per game. He dropped 18 points last night and scored more than 25 points in three of his last four games before the All-Star break.
He should be able to take advantage of a New York Knicks squad that has struggled to defend lately. The Knicks are 24th in the NBA in defensive rating over their last 20 games. They are also 20th in the league in points in the paint allowed per game (49.6), with that number ballooning to 55.8 ppg over the last month.
Mobley is in the top 20th percentile of the league in post-up frequency per ShotQualityBets while the Knicks are just 27th at defending post-up plays.
Ausar Thompson Over 14.5 points + assists (-115 at bet365)
The Houston Rockets' Amen Thompson has been red-hot since the start of the New Year, but don't forget about his twin brother Ausar Thompson, who caught fire just before the break.
By the end of January, Ausar Thompson was averaging just 7.9 points and 1.5 assists in 19.8 minutes per game. However, he has racked up 14.6 ppg and 4.4 apg in 25.1 mpg in February.
Today, Thompson and the well-rested Detroit Pistons take on a San Antonio squad that played last night. The Spurs just announced that center Victor Wembanyama is done for the season due to a blood clot, and he was the runaway favorite to be named Defensive Player of the Year. His absence will make them significantly weaker on defense.
The O/U for points and assists for Thompson tonight is set at 14.5. He has eclipsed that number in seven straight games, and in his last outing he had season-highs in points (19) and assists (seven).
Isaiah Collier Over 3.5 turnovers (-120 at bet365)
With Collin Sexton sidelined by an injury, Isaiah Collier has taken over lead ball-handling duties for the Utah Jazz. The rookie has been racking up dimes since entering the starting lineup, averaging a whopping 8.6 assists per game in 14 contests over the last month.
That said, it's been a double-edged sword for the 20-year-old, who has also been coughing up the ball at a sky-high rate. Collier turned the ball over at least four times in 10 of those 14 games, and he's coming off a contest against the Clippers where he had seven turnovers.
He won't be able to take care of the ball tonight against an Oklahoma City Thunder squad that leads the NBA in steals per game (10.9) and opponent TO rate (17.3%).
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NBA odds today
Here are the full NBA odds for all of today’s matchups.
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