The NBA Playoffs continue Friday with Game 6 between the Celtics and Knicks. Boston is facing elimination down 3-2, but after blowing out New York in Game 5, this feels like a must-win matchup for both sides.
Here are two of the best NBA prop bets today.
All NBA odds are current as of Friday, May 16.
Garrett Chorpenning’s NBA prop betting record: 49-51-5 (-5.23 units)
Best NBA Player Props Today
Jalen Brunson: 30+ Points (-130) vs Celtics
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
Brunson had one of his worst performances of the postseason in New York’s 127-102 loss to Boston on Wednesday, notching 22 points and six assists before fouling out in less than 33 minutes of action. He was fairly efficient inside the arc, but he tied a playoff-low with one made 3-pointer on four attempts.
With that said, Brunson’s recent history in closeout games suggests he could be in store for a massive showing this evening. The All-Star guard dropped 40 points in the Knicks’ Game 6 win over the Pistons in the first round, and he had a 41-point outing that knocked the 76ers out of the playoffs in 2024.
Brunson has only gone for 30 points or more once in this series, but the pressure is on New York to eliminate the defending champions and keep the series from heading back to Boston for Game 7. Look for Brunson to carry his team to victory and lock this in as your NBA bet of the day.
Best NBA Props Today
Knicks: 3Q -0.5 (-110) vs Celtics
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
The third quarter has served as a good barometer for the outcomes in this series. The team that takes the frame has gone on to win the game four out of five times, with the lone exception coming in the Knicks’ 91-90 victory in Game 2. (New York outscored Boston, 30-17, in the fourth quarter.)
With that in mind, if you’re of the opinion that the Knicks get the job done this evening, this may be a better bet to make instead of the moneyline at -142.
- Feeling lucky? Check out our best NBA parlays for today’s action.
New York has also looked strong in third quarters in home games against the Celtics. Despite losing Game 3 by 22 points, the Knicks only lost the frame by one point. Then, in Game 4, Brunson’s 18 third-quarter points helped carry his team to a 37-23 advantage.
Given the urgency of the moment, you would hope to see a dominant effort from start to finish. Establishing control out of the break is essential, though, and I expect it to be a focus of New York’s strategy.
NBA Player Prop Bet Odds Comparison
How NBA Prop Betting Works
NBA prop betting has become an increasingly popular area in basketball wagering. Unlike placing a wager on a team to win or cover the spread, a prop wager only needs an individual instance.
Basketball props can include various things, from game props to player props to season-long props. Therefore, when placing a bet, it’s crucial to scan various sportsbooks to look for an edge in an individual prop and to search for the best odds for those props.
For NBA prop betting, you can bet on a team, player, or game. A team prop is associated with how an individual team will perform in one particular game or over the entire year.
Player props focus on the performance of a single player within a game. A game prop is related to a specific situation within an individual game.
For instance, a team prop is set at 105.5 points for the Chicago Bulls in their matchup against the Boston Celtics. If you take the Over and the Bulls score at least 106 points, you win the wager.
A player prop would be a line set at 26.5 points for Donovan Mitchell in a matchup between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Lakers. If you bet the Over and Mitchell scores at least 27 points, you’ve won the bet.
Best NBA Prop Betting Sites
DraftKings
DraftKings Sportsbook is one of the top sportsbooks in the industry. Whether it’s game, team, player, or season-long props, they have it all. DraftKings offers frequent promotions and same game parlays, which are not available at every sportsbook.
FanDuel
FanDuel, like DraftKings, is among the leaders in the industry. The two sportsbooks are similar in their offerings, especially considering that FanDuel also offers frequent promotions and same game parlays.
BetMGM
BetMGM provides the same variety of game, team, and player props that most other sportsbooks do. They also offer plenty of season-long props, which include placing wagers on team win totals, as well as season statistics for individual players.
BetRivers
BetRivers usually offers a variety of house specials, providing juicy odds for props. They can also provide some unique wagers in their specials.
For instance, normally a player points prop would be for one individual player to score at least 20 points. However, they can provide a house special for two teammates to score that many points, so you would win your wager if either of those two players surpasses the total.
How to Pick the Best NBA Prop Betting Sites
Ease of Use
It’s important to feel comfortable with the sportsbook that you choose to use. Whether it be the layout of the website or the ease of depositing and withdrawing funds, it can make a difference in your overall experience.
Welcome Bonuses & Promotions
Keep an eye out for bonuses or promotions as they could prove to be profitable. As far as welcome bonuses go, some sportsbooks will offer free wagers to new customers.
With regards to promotions, they can include boosted odds to potentially make wagers more profitable for customers.
Variety of Props
A wide variety of props means more opportunities to win money. Not only does that mean offering game, team, individual, and season-long props, but offering more of them. A wider variety of props could also lead to added entertainment as you follow along with your wagers.
Odds on Props
This is important. It’s not uncommon for multiple sportsbooks to have the same line on a prop. However, the odds can be different.
DraftKings and FanDuel may both have a player prop for LeBron James set at 8.5 assists, however, the odds for him to hit the over on DraftKings are (-110), while the odds at FanDuel are (-120). If you were to make a $100 wager and win, you would profit $90 on DraftKings, but just $83 on FanDuel.
NBA Prop Betting Promotions
One type of promotion is an odds boost. This is where a bettor would receive more value for their wager.
The Over 23.5 points for Kevin Durant might initially be at (-110) but then be boosted to (+200). For a $100 bet, the (+200) odds would net $200 profit, rather than $90 for (-110) odds.
There are also welcome bonuses that are often offered for new members, including initial deposit matches up to a certain dollar amount.
Best NBA Prop Bets
One of the best types of props is player props. These can be easier to project because you only need that one instance to occur for an individual player to win money.
Let’s take a deeper look at why player props are enticing options.
NBA Player Props
NBA player props are when you bet on a player’s performance for a single game or the entire season. There can be a variety of player props, including total points scored, rebounds, assists, and three-pointers made.
If you believe that Stephen Curry could be in line for a big performance against a Washington Wizards team that has struggled defensively, you could take the Over on his player prop of 23.5 points. You would need him to score at least 24 points for that wager to payout.
NBA Prop Betting Strategy
The key to prop betting is to look for statistical trends. For example, last season, the Sacramento Kings played at the fastest pace and had the sixth-worst defensive rating in the league.
The Kings are set to play the Philadelphia 76ers, which means a big scoring night could be coming from Joel Embiid. Not only does Sacramento’s place of play and defensive struggles work in his favor, but Embiid led the league last season with his 33.1 points per game.
Benefits of NBA Prop Betting Online
Betting on NBA props online makes things easy. You deposit your funds and select your preferred wagers. There’s no getting in the car and driving to your local casino to place a wager at a physical sportsbook.
Another benefit of NBA betting online is getting to use multiple sportsbooks while never having to leave your home. This allows you to shop for the best odds and a wide variety of props.
Finally, another benefit of placing prop bets online is the ability to do in-game wagers.
How to Place an NBA Prop Bet Online
To place an NBA prop bet online, please follow these steps:
- Register at your preferred sportsbook.
- Click “Deposit" to add your funds to the account.
- Check to see if there are any promotions related to props.
- Use your welcome bonus before using your funds.
- Click “NBA" and the “Props."
- Look at the spread, game totals, and advanced stats to help guide your selection.
- Choose your wager.
- Place your wager and enjoy the game.
Where Can I Legally Place NBA Prop Bets Online?
- Arizona
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- New Jersey
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Choose More Than One NBA Prop Betting Site
Choosing multiple sites to place bets on props allows you to search for a variety of different props. Also, it’s important to search for odds across multiple sites to help maximize your potential profits.
Various sites also offer different promotions daily, so being registered with multiple sportsbooks would allow you to take advantage of those opportunities.
