Max Strus had the shot of the night in the game of the night Tuesday, hitting a 59-footer at the final buzzer to give the Cleveland Cavaliers a home victory over the Dallas Mavericks in what may have been a preview of the NBA Finals.

Yes, a preview of the NBA Finals. Such is the state of the NBA on this particular Wednesday in late February as the Cavs sit second in the East, behind Boston, and the Mavericks sit eighth in the West but are just 1.5 games out of fifth place.

The Celtics (won nine straight), Thunder (won six straight) and the Heat (won five straight) are the hot teams right now, while the Wizards (lost 12 straight) and Trail Blazers (lost nine straight) are epically bad.

The national focus tonight will be on the New Orleans Pelicans and Indiana Pacers as they play in the first game of an ESPN doubleheader, with the Lakers and the Clippers taking part in the nightcap on a six-game slate.

Strus will be playing again, this time in Chicago against the ninth-place Chicago Bulls, who seem destined for a play-in berth despite their 27-31 record. The team behind them, the Atlanta Hawks (26-32), just lost Trae Young for a month, and the team in 11th, the Brooklyn Nets, are 14 games under .500 and have lost five of six as they get ready to begin a four-game homestand.

The NBA is one week away from taking a back seat to the NCAA as March Madness gets set to begin. We do not yet have a team that is capturing the attention of a national audience, although the Golden State Warriors seem to be getting there with 11 wins in their past 14 games despite having Klay Thompson coming off the bench. The Dubs remain a play-in team at the moment but are within 3.5 games of sixth place Phoenix and within four games of fifth place New Orleans, and there is a lot of basketball left to be played.

So, when we say so and so vs. so and so could be an NBA Finals preview, there are a myriad of possibilities that are plausible. Between now and mid-April, we shall see who is a realistic threat to Boston in the East and the defending champion Nuggets in the West. Until then, let’s get ready for Leap Day with some profits, shall we?

NBA Player Prop Bets Today for Wednesday, February, 28, 2024

Zion Williamson (NOP) Triple-Double

Williamson played only 29 minutes against the Knicks and fouled out, keeping his stats down. But in the previous game against Chicago he had 19 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, and against Miami he had 23 points, seven assists and nine rebounds. He has not had a triple-double this season, hence the long odds. But there have been five games this season in which he came very close, missing by just one or two rebounds or assists, and he is going against a Pacers team that allows 123.9 points per game, the most in the league. If McCollum sits out, which is more likely than not, he needs to be a passer more than usual, and reaching double figures in points and rebounds is something he does regularly. At this price, this is a flyer bet that has wings since the game is on national television and the Pelicans get very little national exposure.

The Pick: Zion Williamson to have a triple-double +5000

Luka Doncic (DAL) and Kyrie Irving (DAL) to both score 40+ points

Kyrie Irving’s super February shooting-wise should not be taken lightly when looking at the Mavs’ prospects both short-term and long-term. One of the most misunderstood and polarizing players in the league, he is an extraordinarily gifted offensive player who is overdue for a 40-point game after having two of them in January. He is averaging 20 shots per game in February and took 24 of them last night in Cleveland, making 12 … and that was a bad game for him given his standards this month. Doncic has gone for 40 or more twice in three games since the All-Star break and 10 this times season, along with nine 39-point games. We love the prop odds on this one, especially since Irving’s strong February has gone unnoticed in the national media daily discussion of who are among the best players leaguewide.

The Pick: Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving to both score 40+ points (+2800)

Domantas Sabonis (SAC) 14+ assists 

This is a tricky one because of Fox’s status, yet Sabonis will get a considerable amount of assists one way or another. The leap of faith we are taking is that coach Mike Brown plays it conservative and sits the reigning Clutch Player of the Year Award winner, which gives Sabonis even more assist opportunities than usual. His season-high is 15, accomplished twice.

The Pick: Domantas Sabonis to have at least 14 assists (+800)

Ivica Zubac (LAC) 35+ points, rebounds and assists (+650)

The Clippers center had 22 points, 19 rebounds and one assist the last time these teams played. Given what Nurkic did on Sunday night, it makes sense to foresee an opposing center put up a larger than usual line against the Lakers, who are Jekyll and Hyde material every single night. The Croatian center went for 30 or more points, rebounds and assists vs. the Lakers twice last season.

The Pick: Ivica Zubac to have at least 35 combined points, rebounds and assists (+650)

Odds are subject to change*

Bet on NBA odds at Betway

Find season-long NBA odds on Betway. You'll find all the latest spreads, totals, money lines, and parlays. Missed tip-off? No problem, Betway also offers live betting. All your NBA betting needs are covered in our online sportsbook.