The NBA All-Star Game takes place in Cleveland this weekend, and the city received some exciting news on Monday. Cleveland’s Jarrett Allen was named as the replacement for James Harden, who was ruled out for All-Star weekend. Darius Garland and Allen will both represent Cleveland in their hometown, making them the first Cavaliers to appear in the All-Star game since LeBron James. There are three days of games left before the break and seven games scheduled across the league on Tuesday. Let’s dive into the best NBA bets today, picks and NBA betting tips for Tuesday, Feb. 15.
NBA Best Bets: Game Tips & Expert Betting Predictions
Celtics vs. 76ers Best Bet
The surging Celtics travel to Philadelphia to take on the 76ers Tuesday. Boston will look to extend their win streak to nine games and close the gap on the Sixers in the Atlantic Division. Philadelphia is 34-22 on the season, two games ahead of Boston in the division. This will be the fourth time this season these two teams have faced off, with the Sixers winning two of the first three matchups.
Tonight’s game will be the first of a back-to-back for the Celtics. Boston enters this matchup with a healthy roster. Daniel Theis who was recently acquired from the Rockets is available to make his debut tonight. The Celtics have been on a tear winning eight in a row and 10 of their last 11. Boston continues to be one of the best defensive teams in the NBA, ranking second in defensive rating and holding teams to 103.6 points per game. They have held opponents to under 100 points in six of their last eight games. Boston’s offense ranks 19th in offensive rating this season, averaging 108.3 points per game. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown can get up shots whenever they want, with both players averaging over 23 points per game apiece. Boston likes to put up 3-point attempts, but they will have a tough test from beyond the arc tonight, as Philadelphia’s defense is holding teams to the fourth-lowest opposing 3-point percentage.
The Sixers come into this game off a nice win at home over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday behind a 40-point performance by Joel Embiid. Philadelphia has also been playing very well the past two weeks, winning eight of their last 11 games. They will be looking to win their third straight game on Wednesday. The Sixers rotation will look slightly different after trading for James Harden, with Andre Drummond and Seth Curry no longer on the roster. Harden will be held out until after the All-Star break to make sure he is healthy and ready to go for the final stretch of the season. Look for Tyrese Maxey to get the starting nod in Harden’s absence. Their offense is scoring an average of 107.6 points per game on 45.5% shooting from the field. Embiid controls the offense, leading the team in both points (29.5) and rebounds (11.2) per game.
These two teams rank 24th and 28th in pace on the season. The total has finished at 211 combined points or less in all three matchups this year. Philadelphia is 22-33-1 over/under on the year and 10-18 over/under at home. Boston is 23-34-1 over/under and 11-16-1 over/under on the road. While Embiid has been playing at an MVP level, he averages 26.5 points per game in 17 career matchups versus Boston, 3 points fewer than his season average. The under is 5-1 in Celtics’ last six, and the under is 5-2 in 76ers’ last seven home games. Ride the trend in a matchup of two slow-tempo teams playing at elite levels on the defensive end of the floor.
Best Bet for Today’s Game: Total Under 210 Points
The best odds are available on FanDuel found through OddsShopper. Find your best bet in 30 seconds or less.
The Latest Sports Betting Content from Stokastic Odds
- BetMGM North Carolina Pre-Registration: $200 in Bonus Bets Awaiting You When Sports Betting Launches
- Bet365 North Carolina Pre-Registration: Get $100 in Bonus Bets Before March 11
- DraftKings North Carolina Pre-Registration: Up to $300 in Bonus Bets for NC Launch on March 11!
- FanDuel North Carolina Pre-Registration: Grab $300 in Bonus Bets Between Now and March 11!
- Bet365 Louisiana Bonus Code: Bet $1, Get $365 in Bonus Bets!
- Stokastic DFS on Youtube
Grizzlies vs. Pelicans Best Bet
The Grizzlies travel to New Orleans for a matchup with the Pelicans on Tuesday night inside Smoothie King Center. The Grizzlies (40-18) are on a tear, exceeding all preseason expectations. They are coming off a 125-118 win against the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday. The Pelicans (22-34) had a blowout win last night against the Raptors and will be on the second leg of a back-to-back. These two teams met once back in November, with the Pelicans taking home the victory 112-101 in New Orleans.
Memphis enters Tuesday looking to extend their current win streak to six games. Ja Morant briefly left the game on Saturday after rolling his ankle but was able to finish the contest. Keep an eye on his status, as he is questionable for Tuesday’s game due to left ankle soreness. Given the Grizzlies are on the first half of a back-to-back, they may choose to rest him one of the two games knowing they have the All-Star break right around the corner. Even is Morant does not suit up, the Grizzlies has been proven to stay competitive holding a 11-2 record without him on the season. The Grizzlies are the best rebounding team in the league, averaging 58.2 per game. Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. are two of the most underrated players in the league at their positions. Memphis ranks seventh on the season in defensive rating, but they have not played as well on the road, allowing 110.6 points per game.
Do not count the Pelicans out of playoff contentions just yet. They are coming off a huge performance, stomping the Raptors by 30 points yesterday at home. The new-look Pelicans are a team to keep an eye on. C.J. McCollum seems to be fitting right in, coming off a 23-point performance in last night’s win and a 36-point performance in the prior game. Brandon Ingram no longer has to be the lone shining star night in and night out on offense. The Pelicans offense has been surging, ranking third in effective field goal percentage and ninth in offensive rating over their last five games. The Pelicans defense has been up and down all year, ranking 20th in defensive rating and allowing opponents to score 109.4 points per game.
Both teams rank top 10 in offensive efficiency over the last five games. Look for the Grizzlies to push the tempo, as they are the rank first in pace on the season. This is clearly a game where McCollum and company are going to have to be on the attack on the offensive end of the floor if they want to stay competitive. Memphis has a 30-25-3 over/under record on the year and 16-11-2 over/under on the road. The Grizzlies total has hit 228 or higher in six straight games. Expect to see quality offensive performances from both teams tonight, pushing the total over 228 points.
Best Bet for Today’s Game: Total Over 228 Points
The best odds are available on DraftKings found through OddsShopper. Find your best bet in 30 seconds or less.
Thanks for reading to the end of this article! If you appreciate this free content and want to see more of it every day, you can help us out by sharing this article on social media!
Check out Stokastic's Best Bets home page for more sports betting picks and predictions.
