NBA Player Props and Best Bets: Lillard, Edey Under and a Doncic-Edwards SGP

The NBA playoffs are in full swing with a variety of Games 2s on Tuesday, and I have five player props from the matchups to share.

The Detroit Pistons did what they could not in Game 1 and closed out their fourth-quarter lead against the New York Knicks, tying the series at 1-1 yesterday. The Los Angeles Clippers did the same against the Denver Nuggets behind a masterful performance from Kawhi Leonard, who scored 39 points on 78.9 percent shooting.

Tuesday’s games begin with the Milwaukee Bucks vs Indiana Pacers in a 0-1 hole. The Memphis Grizzlies will then look to rebound from a record 51-point loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder, while the Los Angeles Lakers will host the Minnesota Timberwolves in the nightcap.

Here are my favorite NBA Play-In Tournament props for Tuesday.

Odds for today's NBA prop bets are courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. Place a $5 wager at FanDuel Sportsbook and receive $250 in bonus bets if your bet wins.

Best NBA Prop Bets for Tuesday, April 22

Scotty Pippen Jr. Under 3.5 Rebounds (-125) at FanDuel

The Thunder shot 50.5 percent from the field in Game 1, and I don’t see a world in which the Grizzlies’ defense can slow them down. That means there won't be a ton of defensive rebounding opportunities available, and Pippen Jr. isn’t a credible offensive rebounding threat at 6-foot-1.

Pippen Jr. had two rebounds in Game 1 and went under in five of his last six games while averaging 3.3 rebounds per game. The Thunder are taller at the guard and wing spots, and Pippen Jr.’s history of trending under combined with OKC’s offense gives me the confidence to bet his under. 

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Mike Conley Over 3.5 Assists (-136) at FanDuel

I said before the Lakers-Timberwolves series began that Conley was the player to watch since he can alleviate the playmaking burden placed on Anthony Edwards. He only had three assists in Game 1, but he played well and also went over this line in five of his last eight contests dating back to the regular season.

The Lakers are likely to come out with renewed fire and play better defense, but again, that could lead to Conley spending more time with the ball in his hands to calm the offense. LA also, despite having a strong defense when engaged, hasn’t been great at limiting its opponents’ assists.

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Damian Lillard Under 2.5 Threes (-102) at FanDuel

In the event that Lillard actually returns from his blood clot and is able to get on the court for Game 2, I’d bet his unders nearly across the board. He likely couldn’t work out at 100 percent intensity during his time away and hasn’t played since March 18, so there should be a layer of rust on top of his silky-smooth game.

The Pacers made it clear with their Game 1 game plan that they are content letting Giannis Antetokounmpo do whatever he wants if it means they can take away his teammates. Lillard won’t sneak up on anyone, and he went under in five of six games before he was diagnosed with the blood clot.

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Zach Edey Under 8.5 Points (-106) at FanDuel

Edey looked like a fish out of water in Game 1 against the Thunder, but to be fair, so did the entire Grizzlies team. His enormous stature comes with its benefits but makes him a defensive liability against smaller teams, and the Thunder have plenty of smaller lineups they can reliably turn to.

Edey scored just four points in Game 1 and went under in five of his last eight outings. He needs to work on keeping the ball up high in the post and learning how to work around double-teams, but since he struggles with both, OKC’s small defense should be able to frustrate him if they can flock to him before he puts the ball up.

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Tyrese Haliburton Over 10.5 Assists (-138) at FanDuel

The Pacers looked faster and more conditioned than the Bucks, and that allowed Haliburton to record 12 assists with just one turnover in Game 1. He went over in three of his last five and consecutive games against the Bucks despite “only” averaging 9.2 assists per game.

The Bucks could not get back in transition with the speed needed to set up their defense against the Pacers offense, which is a major reason Haliburton went over. Plus, if Lillard comes back, he likely won’t be in game shape and will give Haliburton lanes to find his in-rhythm teammates.

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NBA Same-Game Parlay (+546) at FanDuel

-Minnesota Timberwolves @ Los Angeles Lakers (-5.5)

• Luka Doncic 30+ points: Went over in five of his last six games and had 37 points on 54.5 percent shooting in Game 1.

• Anthony Edwards 30+ points: The Lakers would likely be better served allowing Edwards to get his numbers and taking away threes from his teammates, which puts him in a position for a strong scoring night.

• Donte DiVincenzo under 2.5 threes: The logic above would lead to DiVincenzo going under, just like he did in Game 1 when he went 1-5 from deep.

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