Today's NBA Picks: Top Player Props, Odds & Best Bets (Sunday 2/22/26)

February 22, 2026

Get Thunder Dan Palyo's top NBA player props and expert picks for Sunday, 2/22/26. Uncover today's best value bets, model projections, and live odds to beat the books.

We rarely get such a loaded Sunday slate of NBA action, but now that the NFL is no longer in the mix, the league will look to feature some of its best matchups on Sunday for national TV broadcasts. We have 11 games today and two really good games featured as the red-hot Cleveland Cavaliers take on the defending champion OKC Thunder, while arguably the best rivalry in the league is renewed again with the Boston Celtics taking on the L.A. Lakers.

As always, I'm focused on finding the NBA props with the best combination of a high probability of hitting and odds that will provide the biggest return on your investment. You won't find longshot parlays here, but you also won't see a bunch of props at -150 odds either. I went a little overboard with 11 bets since we have 11 games, feel free to pick and choose your favorites - but I love them all!

In this article, I will provide my favorite NBA player props picks for Sunday, February 22nd. Prop picks can range from individual stats, such as points, assists, rebounds, three-pointers made, and defensive statistics, to combination props (Points + Rebounds + Assists = PRA). All odds and sportsbooks used are listed, but it's always a good idea to shop around, as odds change throughout the day as bets are placed.

NBA Betting Props Finder Tool

A quick look at today's projections on our NBA Betting Props Finder tool and you'll see one that I ALMOST pulled the trigger on with Mark Williams and his points + rebounds prop. I love the matchup against Portland, but I get a little scared about his minutes on a back-to-back.

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Today’s Best NBA Picks for Player Props

Let’s take a look at the top player props for today’s NBA slate:

• Payton Pritchard over 23.5 Points and Assists 
• Joel Embiid over 26.5 Points 
• Bennedict Mathurin over 21.5 Points
• Jarrett Allen over 23.5 Points and Rebounds 
• Ryan Rollins over 22.5 Points and Assists 
• Julian Strawther over 12.5 Points
• Jared McCain over 11.5 Points 
• Ryan Kalkbrenner over 9.5 Points
• Nolan Traore over 10.5 Points 
• Gui Santos over 11.5 Points 
• Tyus Jones over 5.5 Assists

Payton Pritchard over 23.5 Points and Assists (-125 Bet365), (o24.5 at -118 on Novig)

I mentioned this on X the other day, but the move to the bench for Pritchard has been the best possible thing for his production. In six games off the bench, the diminutive guard is averaging 22.5 points and 6.2 assists, while still playing starters' minutes with 33.4 per contest.

I'm going to keep rolling with him today in what should be a close game against the Lakers. He's been shooting well from behind the arc (43%) over this latest stretch, and having his minutes staggered more with Derrick White and Jaylen Brown has been a real boon to his usage and assist numbers.

Joel Embiid over 26.5 Points (-115 FAN), (-126 Novig)

Embiid has not suited up for the last two Sixers games, but I have a feeling he'll be in there today as the team has lost four straight and is facing a very good Minnesota team. The Wolves will be without Rudy Gobert, so Embiid will be matched up against rookie Joan Beringer or against the much smaller Naz Reid/Julius Randle duo.

Embiid has 27+ points in nine of his last 10 games. When he's played, he's played well and scored the ball quite efficiently. He's also gone over this number in his last six meetings with Minnesota, as if you needed one more trend to line up!

Bennedict Mathurin over 21.5 Points (-110 FD), (-126 Novig)

Let's face it, the books have no idea where to price Mathurin's points prop today. After two fairly quiet games with his new team, Mathurin has erupted for 38 and 26 points in his last two games.

Bennedict Mathurin put on a show in his first home game with the Clippers 🔥

38 PTS (ties career-high)
5 REB
4 AST
3 STL

He surpassed Paul George (37 PTS on Nov. 16, 2019) for the most points by a player in a Clippers home debut! pic.twitter.com/GFtFqlqUaJ

— NBA (@NBA) February 20, 2026

The Clippers will be without John Collins tonight and possibly Kawhi Leonard, too. Mathurin has been putting up shots at an incredible pace the last two games, with usage rates over 32% in both contests. Don't worry about him coming off the bench; he should be locked into scoring mode all night, and he'll need to help carry this Clippers team as they simply don't have many other reliable options on offense besides Leonard.

Jarrett Allen over 23.5 Points and Rebounds (-112 Bet365), (-125 Novig)

If you have been following me at all, you'll know that I have been riding this prop for a few weeks now, and I am not about to stop today!

Allen is playing the best basketball of the season, and possibly his career. He was heating up right when James Harden arrived in Cleveland, and the addition of the crafty point guard has only increased Allen's efficiency on offense.

Allen is destroying this prop on a nightly basis, averaging 33.8 points and rebounds over his last five games. Evan Mobley will play today, but is being eased back into his minutes, while Allen continues to pick up the slack on the boards and as the pick-and-roll partner for Donovan Mitchell and Harden.

The Cavs are rolling right now and are favored in a close game here, since the Thunder will be without their two best players - SGA and Jalen Williams.

Ryan Rollins over 22.5 Points and Assists (-114 FD), (-117 Novig)

Rollins missed two games heading into the break, but came out in his first game back after the break looking his usual self with 27 points and six assists against the Pelicans. He's hit this prop in seven of his last eight games, while the Raptors have allowed the fourth-most points and fifth-most assists to opposing point guards over their last 15 games.

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Top NBA Value Picks and Sleeper Props

Betting on superstars is always exciting, but the best value often lies in the margins of a roster. Role players and emerging contributors can offer hidden edges, especially as the season wears on and injuries start to shake up rotations. We don't want to wager only on superstars; it's often the role players and less-known players who may offer us the best markets.

Let’s dive into some of the top value plays for today’s NBA slate.

Julian Strawther over 12.5 Points (-105 Bet365), (-125 Novig)

I love going after relatively low points props on players who are either bench players or role players. Strawther has been in and out of the starting lineup for the Nuggets lately, but has been a really nice source of scoring for Denver as a third option behind Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.

He's getting a lot of easy buckets by playing off the ball and having the best passing big man in the game, Jokic, find him on cuts like this one.

Great cut from Julian Strawther pic.twitter.com/BKraPvThzU

— Matt Brooks (@MattBrooksNBA) February 21, 2026

He's gone over this number in five of his last seven games, with 11 points in each of the two games where he went under. He's getting plenty of minutes and shots up. I think he gets there again today against the Warriors.

Jared McCain over 10.5 Points (-127 Novig)

McCain has settled in quite nicely in OKC. With SGA and Jalen Williams out, they've needed more scoring from their guards and have gotten it from guys like Cason Wallace, Isaiah Joe, and McCain.

He's coming off his season high of 21 points and has 12+ now in three straight. I think we will continue to see him aggressive with the second unit against the Cavs today.

McCain is showing up in our Prize Picks Prop Finder as one of the better values available over there!

Ryan Kalkbrenner over 9.5 Points (-115 FAN)

We get one more game of Kalkbrenner starting at center, with Moussa Diabate serving the last game of his suspension today. Kalkbrenner has 12 points in each of his last two starts and an elite matchup today against the Wizards, who have allowed the third-most points to opposing centers over their last 15 games.

Nolan Traore over 10.5 Points (+101 Novig)

The Nets are heavy underdogs again today, but even in two blowout losses since the break, Traore has still played 30 minutes and attempted 11 shots in each game. Atlanta has not been very strong defensively, and Traore has looked really good lately, scoring 11+ points in five of his last six games while moving into the starting lineup.

Gui Santos over 11.5 Points (-105 Bet365), (-138 Novig)

Santos has been an "auto-bet" for me now for the last few weeks, and I have a really hard time not hammering his points prop every night. He's gone over it in seven of his last eight games and is locked into a very stable role in terms of both his minutes and offensive involvement.

Tyus Jones over 5.5 Assists (-105 Bet365)

Last but not least, an assists prop from one of the last of a dying breed - the pass-first point guard! Jones is getting a fresh start in Dallas after being dealt from Orlando to the Mavericks at the deadline. He finally earned his first start on Friday night, dishing out six dimes in 26 minutes.

The Mavs are 1.5-point favorites today against another bottom-dweller, the Indiana Pacers, who have been in the bottom third against point guards for most of the season in terms of points and assists allowed. Jones rarely looks for his own shot; he will be trying to distribute as much as possible while on the floor today.

NBA Betting Tools and Resources

Don't forget to utilize all of the NBA DFS and betting tools we have here at RotoBaller! The NBA betting landscape changes by the minute throughout the day, so stay up to date with the latest odds and market values with our NBA DFS and betting tools and projections.

• NBA Betting Props Finder Tool
• NBA PrizePicks Props Finder Tool
• NBA Betting Picks Tool
• DFS Matchup Ratings and Projections
• NBA Injury Report

Thanks for reading, RotoBallers, and good luck if you are tailing our bets tonight!

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