Hawks vs. Bucks Player Props, Picks: Best Bets for Trae Young & More (June 23)

by Sloan Piva (SloanPiva) Last Updated 2021-06-23 16:19:11

• Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks tips off Wednesday evening.
• Also check out Hawks vs. Bucks Game 1 odds and picks
• Here are the prop bets and picks NBA betting analyst Sloan Piva likes for Wednesday, June 23

At long last, the Eastern Conference Finals are upon us, and man, what a ride it has been to get here. The Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks had to bounce the top two seeds in the conference to gain ECF berths, defying the odds and losing a lot of futures bettors’ money. But we have to believe that these are the two best teams in the East as currently constituted and that they will absolutely present hoops fans with a fantastic product on the floor. There will also be a ton of great betting opportunities throughout this best-of-seven, including the fan-favorite player prop bets.

Both the Bucks and the Hawks have so many great scorers, and so many skilled role players, that it’s difficult to narrow a Player Props piece to three favorites. But we will do our best. As always, I will try to mix it up by selecting multiple different players and many different props. And as always, my main goal is to pinpoint the best opportunities for you to make money off the sportsbooks.

Let’s get right to it, and start what should be a thrilling Eastern Conference Finals with some player prop wins!

Hawks vs. Bucks Props & Picks

Away Team Total Points OVER 108.5 (-112)

Yeah, yeah… it’s not a player prop—but still, you should be all over this prop. Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks have been absolutely electric this postseason, carrying an 8-4 record and scoring an average of 106.3 points per game. They averaged 107.8 points per game in their seven-game semifinals win over Philly, exceeding 108 points three times—including twice on the road. Atlanta also exceeded 108 points in all three regular-season tilts with Milwaukee, averaging a total of 111.6 points per game.

Young has proved time and time again that he can turn it on regardless of venue, and Milwaukee flaunts the second-highest pace factor in the NBA. That means more possessions, more run-and-gun offense, and more total points. These squads combined to score 229.3 points per game in their regular-season meetings, and Atlanta was just starting to enter its groove under newly-promoted head coach Nate McMillan when they last met in April.

The Hawks are in prime offensive form right now, and they now face off against a Bucks squad with similar rhythm and confidence. I am pounding the OVER on the game total (226.5), and I like Atlanta to cover the +7. So, naturally, I am all-in on the away team totaling more than 108 points. As I wrote in my betting game preview, I expect the final score to be Bucks 121-117.

Trae Young, Over 9.5 Assists (-118)

Many basketball bettors might view this as a risky player prop to pick, opting instead for Young +102 to score 30 points. But I think there is huge value here.

Young will most likely be guarded by lockdown perimeter defender Jrue Holiday, which could translate into a more challenging shooting night than the Hawks superstar had gotten used to against the Sixers. It should also translate into Young doing more playmaking for teammates, by driving and kicking, hitting his bigs on high screen and rolls, and finding open cutters.

The 24-year old phenom has reached 30+ points in exactly half of Atlanta’s 12 postseason games. He has reached double-digit assists seven times, and the three games in which he finished with eight or nine dimes were blowouts. With Holiday covering him in what should be a close game, Young’s odds of logging 10 assists seem infinitely better than his odds to exceed 30 points.

Player Props — Hawks-Bucks Parlay Picks

FanDuel Sportsbook allows bettors to package a plethora of different player props into a single parlay , increasing the fun (and potential payout) of your prop betting. I am admittedly a little gun-shy with the Same Game Parlay option after Game 2 of the Suns-Clippers (damn you, Paul George!). But I’m willing to give it another go. Regardless of your wager, this format makes it super fun to root for throughout the game.

• Giannis Antetokounmpo to Score 25+ Points: -1300
• Trae Young to Score 25+ Points: -300
• Khris Middleton to Score 25+ Points: -110
• Jrue Holiday to Score 15+ Points: -330
• John Collins to Score 15+ Points: -146
• Clint Capela to Score 10+ Points: -192
• Brook Lopez to Score 10+ Points: -430

|TOTAL ODDS: +1322|BET: $25 |TO WIN: $330.54|

I’ll echo my sentiment from my Suns-Clippers Game 2 player prop article: can you imagine hitting this seven-player banger!? It would almost assuredly put you in a good place for the remainder of the week. And let’s face it, none of these points props are far-fetched. This Same Game Parlay is, by all accounts, totally attainable.

If I wasn’t so gun-shy, I’d pick Giannis to score 30+ points. But I want to play it more safe than sorry, as scoring 30 points is still a very tall task in a series opener—even for two-time MVPs. After all, the Greek Freak failed to net 30 in two of these teams’ three regular-season meetings.

However, I do love Antetokounmpo’s chances of scoring 25 points tonight, which is well below his playoff average of 28.8 points. The last time he logged less than 30 points: Game 2 of Milwaukee’s semifinals series against Brooklyn, back on June 7.

Meanwhile, Young seems like he could score 25 points in his sleep at this point—he has hit that mark in nine of Atlanta’s 12 postseason contests, and in four of its last five. But with Holiday likely shadowing him for 35-40 minutes in Game 1, and Young’s foul-line opportunities likely being reduced, I’m staying cautious with his number.

Khris Middleton should continue to thrive Wednesday, as nobody on Atlanta’s roster can slow him down. The two-time All-Star can burn the Hawks from long range, or off the dribble with his intelligence and quick first step. I think Middleton has a good chance of being the high scorer in Game 1.

I also like Holiday’s chances of scoring at least 15 points. Young may be fantastic on the offensive side of the floor, but he’s a liability on defense. Holiday has demonstrated dozens of times this postseason that Milwaukee made the right move by acquiring him in a midseason trade—he’s a winner, he’s clutch, and he knows how to take advantage of weak defenders.

That leaves us with the three big men not named Giannis. John Collins has scored 14+ in seven of Atlanta’s 12 playoff games, and he averaged 24 points per game against Milwaukee in the regular season. Clint Capela has been so active around the rim that points often fall into his lap—he has reached double-digits eight times since the start of the playoffs. Brook Lopez is in a similar boat—he’s huge, very active on the boards, and he has a soft touch near the hoop. Lopez has averaged 13 points per game this postseason.

Good luck, enjoy Game 1, and go get your props, Grinders!

Image Credit: Imagn