NBA Finals Player Props: Best Bets for Mavs vs. Celtics (Game 1)
What kind of performances can we expect on Thursday from Kristaps Porzingis, Payton Pritchard, and Jayson Tatum? Follow along as our NBA betting expert, Nick Galaida, breaks down three of his favorite NBA prop bets for today — Thursday, June 6, 2024. Get all of Nick’s picks, including more NBA player props, at ScoresandOdds.
On Thursday night, this year’s NBA Finals will begin, with Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks traveling to TD Garden to face Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 PM ET on ABC.
Both teams are nearing full strength for Game 1, with Dereck Lively back on the floor for the Mavericks and Kristaps Porzingis returning to the lineup for the Celtics.
If looking to target the player prop market today, we have three player prop leans worth considering for Thursday, June 6th!
NBA Player Props Today – Thursday, June 6, 2024
- Kristaps Porzingis Over/Under 1.5 3-Pointers Made
- Payton Pritchard Over/Under 4.5 Points
- Jayson Tatum Over/Under 9.5 Rebounds
Kristaps Porzingis Over/Under 1.5 3-Pointers Made
Due to him being at less than 100 percent health, it’s likely that Porzingis is on some type of workload restriction to begin the NBA Finals, but this is still a very targetable number for him.
During the regular season, Porzingis shot 41.5% from 3-point territory at home compared to only 33.8% from deep on the road. Even in games with a restricted workload, Porzingis made multiple shots from the perimeter in 4 of 6 home games when playing between 21 and 27 minutes and 10 of 17 home games when playing between 21 and 30 minutes.
This is a worthwhile risk against a Dallas defense that has been vulnerable against opposing centers away from the basket.
- PICK: Porzingis OVER 1.5 3-Pointers Made (-148), DraftKings
Payton Pritchard Over/Under 4.5 Points
Pritchard could see his role reduced significantly in this series against a strong Dallas backcourt due to his defensive inadequacies. Still, there is some room for optimism in Game 1 with Kristaps Porzingis unlikely to play north of 30 minutes.
Pritchard has cleared this market number in 6 consecutive home games, including 41 of 49 home games overall this season. During the regular season, Pritchard shot 52.3% from the field at home compared to only 40.1% from the field on the road.
If there is a game in which Pritchard could fight for some playing time and a few made shots, it’s the series opener while teams are still getting used to one another. This is a very low number, even in a playoff game, for a player who averaged 11.5 points per game at home this season.
- PICK: Pritchard OVER 4.5 Points (-145), BetMGM
Jayson Tatum Over/Under 9.5 Rebounds
During these playoffs, Tatum has averaged double digits in the rebounding department in each of the first three rounds – 10.4 per game against Miami, 10.4 per game against Cleveland, and 10.3 per game against Indiana.
Tatum has played 35+ minutes in every Game 1 this postseason, and that’s unlikely to change tonight. He has recorded 10+ rebounds in 28 of 60 games this season in which he’s played at least 35 minutes and 26 of 51 games in which he’s played at least 37 minutes. There is potential for him to see 40 minutes or more, making this play worthy of consideration.
- PICK: Tatum OVER 9.5 Rebounds (-120), DraftKings
Check out our best sports betting promos for the NBA Finals.
NBA Playoffs 2024 Results – Wager Type
Points: 30-28-2
Rebounds: 9-6
Assists: 14-8-1
Points + Rebounds: 0-1
Points + Rebounds + Assists: 1-0
Three-Pointers Made: 1-1
Combined Playoff Record: 55-44-1 (55.5%)
Image Credit: Getty Images