Sunday’s NBA action has taken a back seat in the news cycle after the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers executed a blockbuster trade on Saturday night that sent Luka Doncic to L.A. and Anthony Davis to Dallas.
The deal, which came out of nowhere, has altered the odds to win the NBA Finals and the Western Conference this season.
While Doncic and Davis are both injured at the moment, Dallas will be at the forefront of the league again on Sunday, as it faces the Cleveland Cavaliers at 3:30 p.m. EST.
That may be the matchup of the day in a slate that features five games, and while the trade deadline is approaching, there’s still plenty of reasons to place some NBA bets in the coming days.
On Sunday, I’m eyeing a few plays, including a play for Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard.
Here’s a full breakdown of each of these picks!
NBA Best Bets Record to Date2024-25 season record: 131-135-4 (-3.16 units)OVERALL (since 2021-22 season): 1141-1080-26 (+34.93 units)
NBA Best Bets Today
Kawhi Leonard OVER 20.5 Points (-110)Tyrese Maxey OVER 6.5 Assists (+100)Jaylen Wells OVER 1.5 3-Pointers Made (-140)PJ Washington OVER 16.5 Points (-115)Kawhi Leonard OVER 20.5 Points (-110)
Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard has seen his minutes jump into the high 20s in recent games, and he could be in line for a massive workload against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.
Los Angeles has ruled out Norman Powell for this game, leaving a pretty big hole on offense.
Leonard has been great as of late, scoring 21 and 27 points in his last two games while attempting 18 shots per game. While the Clippers star has only cleared this line three times this season, he’s gone from playing around 24 minutes a night to closer to 28 in his last three contests.
With Powell out, I wouldn’t be shocked to see Kawhi push 20 shots once again on Sunday.
Tyrese Maxey OVER 6.5 Assists (+100)
Joel Embiid and Paul George are still out for the Philadelphia 76ers, meaning we’ll get another night of high-usage basketball from star guard Tyrese Maxey.
Maxey is averaging 7.4 assists per game over his last seven games, clearing this prop six times. On top of that, the one-time All-Star is playing 38.7 minutes per night and averaging 11.3 potential assists per game over that stretch.
Maxey should have the ball in his hands a ton against Boston, and I wouldn’t be shocked if the C’s try to force the ball out of his hands – which could lead to a few more assist chances. Given Maxey’s ever-expanding role, he’s a solid bet at even money to clear this number.
Jaylen Wells OVER 1.5 3-Pointers Made (-140)
I love this matchup for Memphis Grizzlies rookie guard Jaylen Wells – especially with Ja Morant doubtful for Sunday’s game with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Wells is shooting 38.7 percent from 3 this season, averaging 2.0 made 3s on just over five attempts per game. He’s hit at least two 3-balls in eight of his last 11 games, shooting 43.6 percent from 3 over that stretch.
The Bucks have struggled defending the 3-ball all season, ranking 25th in opponent 3-pointers made per game at 14.0. With Morant out, Wells should have an even bigger role in the Memphis offense tonight.
PJ Washington OVER 16.5 Points (-115)
Luka Doncic trade aside, P.J. Washington has been playing great for Dallas as of late and could find himself as the No. 1 option on offense if Kyrie Irving (questionable) sits out on Sunday.
Cleveland doesn’t have many elite options on the wing defensively, and Washington has been thriving as a scorer as of late, clearing 16.5 points in six straight games. Over that stretch, the veteran forward is averaging 22.5 points on 17.0 shots per game.
If Irving sits, Washington could get 20-plus looks from the field today. He’s a great bet at this number to stay hot against a Cavs defense that is just 18th in the NBA in defensive rating over its last 10 games.
