NBA Player Props Today: Morant's Scoring Tear Could Continue vs Cavaliers

Following a 1-2 result on Thursday with one voided wager, here are four more NBA player prop expert picks for Friday's slate of games to hopefully close out the week on a high note, including a scoring prop for Memphis Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant (+120) against the red-hot Cleveland Cavaliers on March 14, 2025.

Ja Morant To Score 25+ Points vs. Cavaliers (+120 at Sportsbook)

Preview: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Memphis Grizzlies, 8 p.m. ET

A subtle changing of the guard in Memphis with Jaren Jackson Jr. becoming more of a No. 1 on the roster has had many forgetting just how dominant Morant can be on any given night. Jackson Jr. has missed the team's last five games due to an ankle injury, and without the All-Star big man by his side, Morant has averaged 28.8 points, 7.8 assists, and 1.4 steals while shooting 47.1 percent from the field with the Grizzlies going 4-1 during that stretch. 

Jackson Jr. could return to the lineup on Friday against Cleveland, but regardless whether he suits up or not, the tear Morant is on offensively should carry forward to this matchup. Morant had a line of 21 points and 10 assists versus the Cavaliers on the road back on Feb. 23 and that was with Jackson Jr. contributing 22 points and three reserves scoring 10 or more. 

The second-best record in the Western Conference currently belongs to Memphis at 42-24, and with Cleveland in the midst of a 15-game winning streak, it's undoubtedly not lost on the home side how much of a statement it would be to pull out a victory here. Morant's had at least 25 points during each of these aforementioned five games, as well, and a sixth in a potential win would put the league on notice.

Myles Turner OVER 21.5 Points + Rebounds vs. 76ers (-112 at Sportsbook)

Preview: Indiana Pacers vs. Philadelphia 76ers, 7 p.m. ET

Fading the Philadelphia 76ers these days is the correct play to make, not only because they're absolutely putrid with the 29th-ranked defense since the All-Star break, but because they're running a skeleton crew with all of their key pieces sidelined. No one left standing strikes fear in anyone, and since the team's goal is to keep a 2025 draft pick which is top-six protected, they're in no rush to be winning games anyway.

That's music to the ears of someone like Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner, who will be looking across at a frontcourt missing Joel Embiid (out for season) and potentially even Andre Drummond (sprained toe) and have no reason to think he can't put up monster numbers. Turner needs at least 22 combined points and rebounds to reach an OVER at the Wells Fargo Center, which he's only mustered up once in his last six outings, but it's the fact that he's playing Philadelphia here which adds limitless optimism.

Turner registered a double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds in just 27 minutes of playing time the last time Indiana took on the Sixers on Jan. 18, and Philly started Drummond and Tyrese Maxey that day but didn't have the services of Embiid and Paul George. No team has scored fewer than 118 points against the Sixers over their last seven tries either, so Turner should have a field day here.

Walker Kessler To Grab 14+ Rebounds vs. Raptors (+120 at Sportsbook)

Preview: Toronto Raptors vs. Utah Jazz, 9:30 p.m. ET

Wagering on the Association's fifth-best rebounder to secure 14 boards looks great on paper, but when you take a look back at what took place the last time Walker Kessler of the Utah Jazz saw the Toronto Raptors on the hardwood, you'll feel even better about it.

It was exactly a week ago on March 7 when Kessler pulled down a career-high 25 rebounds at Scotiabank Arena in 118-109 loss for Utah. That number was heavily aided by the fact that Raptors center Jakob Poeltl was absent from the lineup, which will also be the case on Friday as he's being held out for rest purposes. Toronto is also giving up the fifth-most rebounds to opponents over its last five games at 47 per contest, not that Kessler couldn't dominate in this category regardless.

The 7-footer has grabbed at least 14 rebounds in 19 of his 50 total appearances this season for the Jazz, including five of his last eight. The one constant about all of those 14-board lines was that Kessler played at least 28 minutes in each, so as long as he stays out of foul trouble, this should be a fairly straightforward result.

Dillon Brooks OVER 13.5 Points vs. Mavericks (-108 at Sportsbook)

Preview: Dallas Mavericks vs. Houston Rockets, 8 p.m. ET

It was mentioned above that Philadelphia owns the 29th-ranked defense in games played coming out of All-Star Weekend, thanks in large part to the laundry list of injuries its incurred. Well, the same rings true for the Dallas Mavericks, who are only marginally better at 26th (119.2 points allowed per 100 possessions) during that stretch and now get a Houston Rockets squad that's won four in a row including three at the Toyota Center. 

Dillon Brooks has scored at least 14 points in each of those wins, and will need to do the same on Friday to notch an OVER for bettors. He's converting 51.7 percent of his shot attempts and a smidge under 45 percent from behind the arc over these four games, and that's welcome production with Amen Thompson ruled out for at least two weeks with a left ankle sprain. 

Now the Canadian wing only had nine when Houston fell to the Mavericks 116-105 back on Feb. 8, but the likes of Thompson, Kyrie Irving, and Anthony Davis were all active and that won't be the case here. Look for Brooks to continue making his presence felt offensively with at least 14 points as he's had 17 or more in each of his last two games.

NBA Best Player Prop Trends Today

Luka Doncic OVER 1.5 Steals vs DEN (-118 at BetMGM)

I really wanted to find an in to a Doncic prop in Friday night's game. While I considered taking the UNDER on his points, the numbers on Denver's defense convinced me otherwise. The Nuggets defense is solid, but their offense yields a few turnovers here and there. 

Doncic, meanwhile, has gone OVER 1.5 steals in eight of his last 10 road games and seven of his last 10 overall, including four steals on February 22 in Denver. As a team, the Nuggets yield an average of 1.97 steals per game to point guards. While that doesn't seem like much, the likes of Mike Conley (March 11), Devin Booker (March 8), Keon Ellis (March 6), and Derrick White (March 2) have all exceeded their steal prop totals against the Nuggets.

- Ethan Diamandas