NBA Player Props and Best Bets for Thursday, May 2

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The Boston Celtics eviscerated the injured Miami Heat by 34 points to secure a 4-1 series win and advance to the second round, where they will play the winner of the Cleveland Cavaliers-Orlando Magic series.

The Dallas Mavericks then blew the Los Angeles Clippers off their home court behind 35 points and 10 assists from Luka Doncic, while Paul George and James Harden scored a combined 22 points on 6-25 (24 percent) shooting.

Here are our favorite NBA player prop picks for the playoffs on Thursday.

Odds from FanDuel Sportsbook. Use our FanDuel promo code for $150 in bonus bets.

Tyrese Haliburton Under 18.5 Points (-122) at FanDuel

The Indiana Pacers’ 24-year-old guard only has one game in this series in which he cashed the over (Game Four). He scored 16 points on 42.9 percent shooting his last time on the court and averaged just 15.8 on 43.5 percent field goal and 31.8 percent three-point shooting.

The Milwaukee Bucks weren’t a great defensive team during the regular season but have been forced into playing more defensive personnel (a la Patrick Beverley and Andre Jackson Jr.) as well as placing greater emphasis on defense in light of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard’s injuries. Haliburton should have a tough time scoring the ball, just as he has all series.

Bet on Tyrese Haliburton props at FanDuel

Bobby Portis Under 21.5 Points (+100) at FanDuel

Portis erupted for 29 points and 10 rebounds on 58.3 percent shooting in Game Five to help the Bucks keep their season alive and go home for Thursday’s matchup. However, that was only his first time scoring more than 17 points in the entire series, and we don’t expect him to continue to score the ball the way he did his last time out.

Portis is already shooting 48.6 percent from the floor for the series, which is very close to his season average. That means that he doesn’t have a ton of room to improve from an efficiency standpoint, and his inability to get over his projected line in the first four games is reason to believe he’ll go under again.

Bet on Bobby Portis props at FanDuel

Patrick Beverley Over 5.5 Assists (+108) at FanDuel

Beverley somewhat jokingly but also somewhat seriously said that he could average double-digit assists (like Haliburton) if he had the ball in his hands for 40 minutes per game. He followed that up by dropping 12 dimes in 36 minutes in Game Five, which the Bucks unexpectedly won by 23 points. 

The Pacers play at breakneck pace and will give the Bucks plenty of possessions and chances at potential assists. They also have not had the same defensive improvements as other teams as far as limiting opponents’ assists, and Beverley proved himself worthy of having the ball in his hands.

Bet on Patrick Beverley props at FanDuel

Nicola Batum Over 4.5 Rebounds (-113) at FanDuel

Batum became an important piece in the Philadelphia 76ers’ rotation after an enormous performance in the Play-In Tournament. He averaged 28.4 minutes during the series with the New York Knicks and hit the over on his rebounding total in four straight games, most recently grabbing eight in 33 minutes.

Batum isn’t that dynamic of a player, but he plays solid defense, grabs boards, and will take open threes. He averaged 5.6 boards over the course of the series and will be under strict instruction to crash the glass, given how aggressive the Knicks are on the boards.

Bet on Nicola Batum props at FanDuel

Joel Embiid Over 5.5 Assists (-150) at FanDuel

Embiid is limited in what he can do because of his knee injury, which often means he’s relegated to operating at the high post or on the perimeter. Luckily, he’s so skilled that he’s still found a way to average 31.8 points while making mostly jump shots and also dished out six or more assists in four of five games.

The reigning MVP had 10 helpers in Game Five despite also recording nine turnovers and playing horribly late in the fourth quarter. He and the Sixers are going back home to a friendly but raucous crowd and have a chance to force Game Seven with a win, and there’s a chance he could play all 48 minutes.

Bet on Joel Embiid props at FanDuel

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