The NBA returned from the All-Star break with a standalone game on Wednesday, but the real action picks up on Thursday with nine games in action.

There are some great matchups for the playoff picture on Thursday including:

I’m eyeing a few plays for tonight’s action, including player props for one New York Knick and one Brooklyn Net in their respective matchups. 

Here’s a full breakdown of the picks for Feb. 20. 

Find Peter Dewey’s NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on  BetStamp here.

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Cameron Johnson OVER 20.5 Points and Rebounds (-125) – 0.5 unit

Brooklyn Nets forward Cameron Johnson has become arguably the top option in this offense since Cam Thomas injured his hamstring earlier in the season. 

He’s averaging 19.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, yet his combined rebounds and points prop is set at just 20.5. 

Johnson has cleared 20.5 points and rebounds in two of his last four games since returning from injury and had 27 and 28 points and rebounds in his two meetings with the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier in the season. 

Charlotte Hornets-Denver Nuggets UNDER 227 (-110) – 0.5 unit

The Charlotte Hornets and Denver Nuggets combined for just 211 points in their first meeting, and the Hornets (28th in offensive rating) have struggled to score the ball at a high rate all season long.

Now, they’re playing the second night of a back-to-back and could end up sitting a few players since they’re tanking anyway.

Charlotte is the best UNDER team in the NBA (33-19 to the UNDER before Wednesday’s game against the Lakers), and it has hit the UNDER in eight of nine games on the second night of a back-to-back.

Even though Denver has one of the three best offenses in the NBA, it may not need to play its starters the whole way through to win this game.

I think 227 points is a little too high given Charlotte’s offensive struggles in the 2024-25 season. 

Jalen Brunson OVER 7.5 Assists (-140) – 0.5 unit

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson is averaging a career-high 7.4 assists per game in the 2024-25 season, and he is a great target when it comes to his assist prop on Thursday night. 

Brunson picked up eight assists in each of his two previous matchups against the Chicago Bulls this season. So far in the 2024-25 campaign, Brunson is averaging 12.8 potential assists per game, giving him a pretty solid floor when it comes to this prop. 

Chicago is 29th in the NBA in opponent assists per game (29.2), which should set up the Knicks’ primary creator in a great spot to go over this total.  

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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