Peter’s Points: NBA Best Bets Today (Expert Predictions, Picks for Josh Hart, Tre Mann, Nikola Jokic)

As the professional sports world shifts its focus to the NBA, we're going to stay consistent with what we've done in the NBA Best Bets column all season long, including on Monday's 10-game slate.

With the All-Star break looming and our season record not exactly where I'd love it to be, I'm looking to six bets (all half units) across several games tonight. Can we channel the magic on Friday night's sweep? It's possible.

This is a prop-focused column on Monday, with Nikola Jokic, Josh Hart, Tre Mann leading the way. Let's talk some ball and break down these bets:

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NBA Best Bets Record to Date

• 2023-24 season record: 209-195-9 (-2.67 units)
• Overall record (last 2+ seasons): 834-753-18 (+37.27 units)

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

NBA Best Bets Today

• Tre Mann OVER 19.5 Points, Rebounds and Assists (-125) – 0.5 unit
• Atlanta Hawks -4 (-112) vs. Chicago Bulls – 0.5 unit
• Josh Hart OVER 13.5 Rebounds and Assists (-115) – 0.5 unit
• Nikola Jokic to Record a Triple-Double (+190) – 0.5 unit
• Cleveland Cavaliers -10.5 (-115) vs. Philadelphia 76ers – 0.5 unit
• New York Knicks ML (-148) vs. Houston Rockets – 0.5 unit

Tre Mann OVER 19.5 Points, Rebounds and Assists (-125) – 0.5 unit

This will be just the second game for Mann in a Charlotte Hornets uniform, but he’s likely going to get another start and plenty of chances to prove himself after coming over in a trade with Oklahoma City. 

Mann finished his debut with nine points (4-for-11 shooting), four rebounds and nine assists. He registered 12.0 potential assists in that game. Now, Mann gets a look at the Indiana Pacers, who play one of the fastest paces in the NBA, leading to a ton of possessions. 

The former first-round pick can fill it up, even though he was out of OKC’s rotation most of this season. In his one chance to really play against Portland, Mann had 11 points, seven rebounds and four dimes in less than 18 minutes. 

If he’s going to push 30 minutes for this Hornets ball club, Mann could be a stat sheet stuffer. I’m buying low on him after a strong debut. 

Atlanta Hawks -4 (-112) vs. Chicago Bulls – 0.5 unit

Are the Atlanta Hawks finally starting to turn things around against the spread?

Atlanta enters this game with a league-worst 17-36 record ATS this season, but the team has been great as of late, covering in six of its last seven games.

This could be another favorable spot for the Hawks, as the Chicago Bulls are just 7-11 ATS as road underdogs and failed to cover in that spot against Orlando on Saturday. 

Chicago is down a few rotation players, and I’d have some serious concern for the Bulls if their top perimeter defender (Caruso, questionable) can’t go against this lethal Atlanta guard duo of Dejounte Murray and Trae Young. 

Josh Hart OVER 13.5 Rebounds and Assists (-115) – 0.5 unit

This is probably my favorite bet of the night, as New York Knicks wing Josh Hart has been a stat-sheet stuffer with an increased role without OG Anunoby and Julius Randle. 

Since Randle and Anunoby went down, Hart is averaging 10.7 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game, clearing this prop in all seven games. 

He may see his minutes tick down a bit with Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks in the fold, but if Isaiah Hartenstein (questionable) remains out, there is little competition for Hart on the glass. 

The Knicks do–it-all wing is averaging an insane 16.1 rebound chances and 9.3 potential assists per game since Randle and OG went down. He’s a must bet at this number. 

Nikola Jokic to Record a Triple-Double (+190) – 0.5 unit

Nikola Jokic has recorded 15 triple-doubles this season, including one against the Milwaukee Bucks back on Jan. 29. 

In that game, the Denver Nuggets star had 25 points, 16 rebounds and 12 assists. The fact that we can get him at nearly +200 to do that again is a crazy value. 

This season, Jokic is No. 5 in the NBA in rebounding chances per game (18.9), No. 5 in potential assists per game (14.5) and has just four games where he’s failed to score 10 or more points. 

This should be a close game, which means we’ll get an uptick in minutes for Jokic. He nearly had a triple double on Friday night against the Sacramento Kings in less than 30 minutes. He’s a solid bet to make tonight. 

Cleveland Cavaliers -10.5 (-115) vs. Philadelphia 76ers – 0.5 unit

I’ll gladly lay the points with Cleveland – even as a double-digit favorite – at home. 

The Philadelphia 76ers have really struggled on the road, going 14-11 straight up and failing to cover in three of their last six games away from Wells Fargo Center. It’s also worth noting that since Jan. 20, the Sixers are a dreadful 2-10 against the spread. 

Meanwhile, the Cavs are 13-5 against the spread over this 17-1 stretch, showing that they are one of the best teams in the NBA. With Darius Garland and Evan Mobley back, Cleveland is going to be really tough to beat for a short handed Philly team that lacks size down low. 

The Cavs are 11-7-1 against the spread as home favorites this season, and they come into this game with the No. 1 net rating in the NBA over their last 10 games. Over that same stretch, the Sixers rank just 28th in the NBA in net rating. 

New York Knicks ML (-148) vs. Houston Rockets – 0.5 unit

Originally, I was leaning with Houston in this game, as the team is 9-4 ATS as a home underdog and posts the No. 2 defensive rating in the NBA at home this season.

However, the injuries are mounting for the Rockets, and the Knicks will at least get Jericho Sims (probable) back in the lineup tonight to give them some much-needed frontcourt depth. 

The additions of Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks should give the Knicks more of a scoring punch right now, and the team has thrived as a road favorite, covering the spread in 75 percent of its games in that spot in the 2023-24 campaign (9-3). 

Fred VanVleet (out) and his injury could be the deciding factor here, as Houston has yet to win a game without him this season, going 0-5 and 0-3 on this recent stretch. Losing FVV, Cam Whitmore and Tari Eason leaves the Rockets’ rotation a little thin – especially if Alperen Sengun (questionable) ends up getting ruled out. 

The Knicks have been tough to judge as of late given their depleted roster due to injuries, but this may be the healthiest they’ve been since Randle went down on Jan. 27. I’ll back New York to win this game and snap a two-game skid.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.