The Western Conference Finals begin Tuesday with Game 1 between the Timberwolves and Thunder. Minnesota took down Golden State in five games to advance to this stage, while Oklahoma City needed seven to defeat Denver. These teams split the season series at two games apiece, so there’s no telling what we can expect from tonight’s opener.
Here are two of the best NBA prop bets today.
All NBA odds are current as of Tuesday, May 20.
Garrett Chorpenning’s NBA prop betting record: 50-52-5 (-5.32 units)
Best NBA Player Props Today
Naz Reid: Over 10.5 Points (-125) @ Thunder
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
When you look back at the four games played between these two this year, one player sticks out: Naz Reid. The 2024 Sixth Man of the Year averaged 22.5 points and 11.0 rebounds per game — his highest output against a single team this season.
Although he primarily comes off the bench, Reid did start in three out of four games against Oklahoma City, which is at least partially responsible for his inflated figures. With that said, he played 33 minutes as a reserve in their first meeting of the campaign and went for 19 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks.
Reid’s numbers have been down this postseason, but he’s obviously still an important piece. It’s also worth noting that his two highest-scoring games in these playoffs have come in each of Minnesota’s series-openers: Reid had 23 in Game 1 against the Lakers and dropped 19 on the Warriors.
This is a relatively low bar for Reid to clear — even in a reduced role — and given his history against the Thunder this season, one has to feel good about the matchup. Take the over at 10.5 points with your NBA bet of the day.
Best NBA Props Today
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: Over 31.5 Points (-115) vs Timberwolves
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
On the other side, Gilgeous-Alexander was consistently great against the T-Wolves, averaging 35.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 6.8 assists. The MVP favorite scored 37-plus in three out of four matchups, though he had one of his least efficient outings of the season in the other, dropping 24 points on 21 shots.
Gilgeous-Alexander enters tonight’s matchup on a tear, guiding the Thunder to wins in three of their last four games while scoring 30.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists. He’s gotten his shot to go with ease inside the arc, too, sinking 60.7% of 2-pointers during that span.
- Feeling lucky? Check out our best NBA parlays for today’s action.
Recent history aside, betting on Gilgeous-Alexander to land in the ballpark of 30 points is about as sure a thing as you’ll find in the NBA. He went for 30-plus in 49 out of 76 games this season, and he surpassed this line of 31.5 points in 39.
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
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Nevada
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- Washington D.C.
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
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.
