Top 10 second-half NBA predictions and best bets

Last night, the NBA All-Star Weekend concluded with the new All-Star Game format, which saw Team Shaq take home the title and Steph Curry win the MVP. As players report back to practice and gear up for the home stretch of the regular season, teams are making pushes to solidify their playoff spots, or in some cases, their draft position.

Here, we take a look at 10 prop bets to consider heading into the second half of the season.

All odds provided by bet365 Sportsbook & Racebook

10. Golden State to make playoffs (-130)
Outside of the Luka Doncic/Anthony Davis trade, the Golden State Warriors made probably the next biggest move at the deadline by acquiring Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat to add to Steph Curry and company.

Butler had been demanding a trade from Miami for weeks and months and finally got his wish. The Warriors look like a rejuvenated team with his hustle plays and defensive ability. Currently sitting in 10th place in the West, the Warriors will have their work cut out for them to avoid the play-in, but Curry, Butler and Draymond Green have the playoff experience to give them a strong case to claim one of the two spots in the play-in tournament.

In addition, those three Warriors players are getting older and don’t have many more pushes for a title left so they will leave everything they have on the court.

9. Castle to win Rookie of the Year (+145)
When you think of the young San Antonio Spurs, your mind immediately goes to Victor Wembanyama. However, there is more than just the 7-foot-3 star.

Fresh out of UConn, Stephon Castle has really improved his game as the season has gone on, especially his shooting. Despite only hitting 28% from behind the three-point arc, Castle is knocking down 42% of his shots from long distance in February and is averaging 18 points per contest.

When he has the ball, he is constantly aggressive looking to get downhill and get to the rim, or create for his teammates. At 6-foot-6, he is a great size for a combo guard and will be a problem for teams as he continues to develop.

8. Cunningham to win Most Improved Player (-135)
After a 14-win season last year, the Detroit Pistons have turned it around, currently in 6th place in the Eastern Conference with a 29-26 record.

Cade Cunningham has become the leader of this Pistons team and is having an extraordinary year. The former No. 1 overall pick is putting in 25 points per game and six boards. His passing is where the improvement really shines as Cunningham is third in the NBA with 9.4 assists per game, leading to his first All Star appearance.

Compared to last season, the guard has improved his field goal percentage, points per game, assists per game, rebounds per game and blocks per game this year.

That's a wrap on Cade's first career #NBAAllStar game pic.twitter.com/E50L9w4Hvt
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) February 17, 2025

7. Pritchard to win Sixth Man of the Year (-160)
Payton Pritchard signed a four-year/$30 million contract with the Boston Celtics and it is looking to be a steal for Brad Stevens and the Green.

Pritchard has worked to make himself an important piece of the defending champs’ rotation while being the favorite to win Sixth Man of the Year. The sharp-shooter is knocking down three triples per game at a 41% clip. He also tends to be the primary ball-handler for Boston’s second unit and dished out 3.5 assists and grabs nearly four rebounds per game.

If you remember from the NBA Finals, he also loves heaving a half-court shot as the end of quarters are about to come to an end.

6. Orlando to win the Southeast Division (-105)
Probably the worst division in the NBA this season, the Southeast doesn’t have a single team over .500.

The Orlando Magic currently hold a half-game lead over both the Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat for the division lead, but they have had many key players on the injury list at some point during the year and are starting to get them back into the rotation.

With Butler’s exit from Miami and the Hawks struggling to find their identity, the Magic have the young talent and drive to extend the division lead behind Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Cole Anthony, Jalen Suggs and others.

'23 rising stars@starrylemonlime pic.twitter.com/mMXR2jEM3P
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) February 14, 2025

5. Memphis to win the Southwest Division (-200)
Contrary to the Southeast, the Southwest has a couple of top teams battling it out for the division lead with Memphis having a 2.5-game-lead over Houston.

The Rockets were in the lead in the Southwest before the started really struggling. Over the last 10 games, Houston has only managed three wins, while Memphis won seven times to overtake the Rockets.

Over the last month before the All Star break, Memphis really seemed to get things going and have found their rotation that is winning them games.

4. Jokic to win Clutch Player of the Year (+100)
If you watch a Denver Nuggets basketball game, you are very familiar with how good they are when Nikola Jokic is on the floor compared to when he is on the bench.

In the fourth quarter especially, most of the possessions see the Serbian touch the ball at least once during a close game because of his ability to score and pass to create. Despite everyone on the court knowing where the ball is going to go, in tight games, Jokic is able to still will his team to victory.

Another All-Star Weekend in the books for Jok! pic.twitter.com/qPMcbHxfGu
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) February 17, 2025

3. Denver to win the Western Conference (+550)
Continuing with Denver, Jokic isn’t a one-man show even though at times it may seem that way according to the box score.

Jamal Murray is able to go off at any moment, including when he scored 55 points in the final game before the break. Other big contributors include Michael Porter Jr., Russell Westbrook, Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun.

The Nuggets are currently the 3rd-place team in the West, but after a much earlier than anticipated exit in last year’s playoffs, don’t be surprised if they come with vengeance in the postseason.
Jokic may take his game to a new level and carry them to the NBA Finals if he has to.

2. The Eastern Conference to win the NBA Finals (-105)
Despite the Nuggets NBA Finals prediction, the top three teams in the Eastern Conference are stronger and deeper than the top teams in the West.

We already know about the Boston Celtics and how they can play after watching it last June. But now, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks are looking like teams that can compete with them.

Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland are one of the better scoring backcourts in the league but they are not the only reason this team is successful.

The big man combo of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley really make this team a matchup problem. Both are good rim protectors and rebounders and Mobley has added jumpers to his game, helping his team be tied for the best record in the NBA to this point.

The Knicks went and traded for Karl-Anthony Towns in the offseason to pair with Jalen Brunson. Josh Hart and OG Anunoby are also key components both defensively and offensively to making this team work.

It looks to me that one of these three teams will walk away with the title over someone from the West.

1. Boston to be crowned NBA champion (+210)
Despite a shaky start to 2025, the Boston Celtics seemed to have corrected some issues and won seven of their last eight.

Jrue Holiday is dealing with an injury but as long as he can return in time to shake the rust off before the playoffs, the Celtics can return to their normal rotation and put him back in the starting lineup. Even though there were points in the season where the Celtics looked off and really struggled shooting, it didn’t linger too long, making it tough to believe a team can beat them four times in a series.

Sure, the Celtics are far from the best team at home this season with a 17-10 record, but they do have the best road record at 22-6. The TD Garden during the playoffs is a tough place to play and if they are able to beat teams on the road, it will take a near perfect series from an opponent to dethrone the champs.

Some of our favorite flicks from the first half ?? pic.twitter.com/oDQR61MtX3
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 13, 2025