NBA Player Props and Best Bets: Durant, Embiid Ready for Strong Showings

At long last, the full return of the NBA post-All-Star break has arrived, and we’re here to share our favorite player props from around the league on Thursday.

The Charlotte Hornets shockingly took down the Los Angeles Lakers in a standalone matchup last night as Luka Doncic struggled to shoot the ball yet again. 18 teams will be back in action on Thursday as nearly all of them clamor for a position in the playoffs or Play-In Tournament.

Here are our best NBA player props for Thursday.

Best NBA Prop Bets for Thursday, February 20

Tyrese Haliburton Under 3.5 Rebounds

Haliburton only averaged 3.6 rebounds per game and went under this line in five of his last six outings, including an overtime matchup with the horrific Washington Wizards in his last game. He also registered just two rebounds in 37 minutes in his only prior matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies this season.

Despite playing at a wicked pace, the Grizz still allowed the sixth-fewest rebounds per game since the start of the new year. Their constant rotation of players ensures they are almost always at an energy advantage, which contributes to them giving up so few rebounds every night.

Precious Achiuwa Over 10.5 Points

Achiuwa, still only 25 years old, dropped 26 points in 42 minutes in his last game and went over in exactly five of his last 10 games. Although that doesn’t inherently mean he’s guaranteed to go over on Thursday, we’re encouraged by the 34.8 minutes of action he averaged in February.

Mitchell Robinson is still out, Josh Hart will miss the game, and OG Anunoby could also be lost to a foot problem. The Chicago Bulls allowed the third-most points per game since Jan. 1 and don’t have any strong interior defenders, which gives Achiuwa a clear path to getting over this line.

Christian Braun Over 15.5 Points

Braun was showing out leading up to the All-Star break, averaging 19.9 points per game in February and going over this line in five straight games. He already dropped 24 points and 11 rebounds on the Charlotte Hornets the last time they played on Feb. 1 and now gets to catch them on the second night of a back-to-back. 

Charlotte did a great job on defense against the Lakers last night, but playing two games in two days on the road is tough. Braun will be well-rested and will have the benefit of going against Charlotte’s lesser defenders since the best ones will be assigned to Jamal Murray, Nikola Jokic, and Michael Porter Jr.

Kevin Durant Over 26.5 Points

Victor Wembanyama is expected to miss the game because of an illness, which means that Durant won’t have to worry about his towering presence in the mid- and low-post where he is so effective. He only scored 13 points in his last game against the San Antonio Spurs, though that came in just 16 minutes of game time. 

Durant played 41 minutes per game in February and went over in three straight games entering the break. The Spurs are a bad defensive team even with Wemby available, and without him, we expect the all-time great to have his way with them.

Joel Embiid Over 9.5 Rebounds

The once-removed MVP showed some of his usual dominance on the glass in his recent games, recording double-digit rebounds in five of his last six outings. That’s a stark contrast from how he started his season, going under 10 boards in nine of 11 games.

Embiid had nine rebounds the last time he faced the Boston Celtics, though that was during his dormant stretch we just mentioned. The Celtics are 16th in rebounds allowed per game in 2025 and have to face a desperate Philly team on the road.

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