The play-in games conclude tonight, with the winners of both games earning a berth to the first round of the playoffs to play the #1 seeds in each conference — the Thunder and Pistons. We’re coming up on one of the best stretches in basketball with the play-ins tonight and a 4-game slate tomorrow. Ahead of the action, let’s dive into our best NBA player prop bets for Friday, April 17, while you can also find out our expert NBA picks for tonight’s matchups and every game throughout the postseason.
Best NBA player prop bet: Jalen Suggs (ORL) under 24.5 points+rebounds+assists (-110)
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.
The notion that you can’t bet unders in the postseason is comical. The books have already adjusted to a likely increase in minutes, but also to a slower pace. For the Magic, Wednesday night’s game against the 76ers was awful. Paolo Banchero was exposed, while Desmond Bane did much of the heavy lifting. Nonetheless, they’ll ride Banchero and Bane until the wheels fall off tonight. Jalen Suggs likely draws the LaMelo Ball matchup on defense, while being the 3rd or 4th option on offense depending on the health status of Franz Wagner – who isn’t on the injury report. Big minutes are expected for Orlando’s core, including Suggs, but I feel safe fading the number and price.
Check out our expert’s NBA Championship futures predictions for the playoffs, featuring a pick at +900 odds that could stop OKC!
Best NBA player prop bet: Jordan Goodwin (PHX) under 7.5 rebounds+assists (-120)
Odds available at Bet365 Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Jordan Goodwin has been a solid piece off the Suns bench this season, especially while Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks missed chunks of the regular season. He got the start in the Suns’ firs play-in game versus the Trail Blazers, but only played half of the 4th quarter — as the Suns went to Royce O’Neale and Oso Ighodaro instead. Goodwin will likely have the honor of chasing Steph Curry around on defense while being an afterthought on the offensive end. He recorded zero assists last game on just 1 assist opportunity – that checks out with a 16% usage rate.
To no surprise, bet365 and BetMGM are asleep at the wheel with their prices. They are 19 cents better than DraftKings and 24 cents better than Caesars.
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