NBA Finals Player Props & Bets: Thursday (Thunder vs. Pacers)
We're back for another night of the NBA Finals, perhaps the season’s last. We enter Game 6 with the Thunder up 3-2. It's been an NBA Finals to remember and a run for Indianapolis that won't soon be forgotten. Before getting to it, I want to thank all those who followed along this year. This was another profitable season and one of my best years covering the NBA. But enough of that.
The best way to stay informed about NBA player props is to stay up-to-date with the latest news. That's not as prevalent in the Finals, but you never know what might happen, especially with Tyrese Haliburton. The second-best way is to shop around at different sportsbooks. Player props rarely have identical odds across platforms, so ensure you get the best value. Let's get to it.
Unless specified otherwise, each bet will be for a single unit.
Thursday’s Best NBA Player Prop Bets
Last Time: 1-1 | Season: 174-125
Jalen Williams Under 29.5 Points + Rebounds (-120 at DraftKings Sportsbook)
After what can only be described as a career game for Jalen Williams, this is exactly the time to come in and fade him. It's not the easiest bet to place after the Thunder forward went off for 40 points, but I can't imagine the Pacers will allow that again.
Williams had a playoff high in usage rate and shot attempts in Game 5, along with one of his best shooting nights to go with it. Everything lined up well for Williams, and now his prop is overinflated. This is a prop that Williams only covered in 33% of games this year and 40% of playoff games. He's been hot of late, of course, but now is the perfect time to sell stock.
T.J. McConnell Over 13.5 Points + Rebounds (-112 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
Now, this is going in the opposite direction of my previous strategy, but it's hard to trust that Tyrese Haliburton is going to be full go tonight. He said if he can walk, he'll play, but there is still a risk of re-aggravating his injury. Playing even a few minutes less will give T.J. McConnell additional run, and that's what I'm banking on here, one way or another.
McConnell is coming off an 18-point night, which is tough to repeat, but in three of the last four games, he's scored double-digit points. He will likely play 20 or so minutes, but when he's on the court, he manages a near 30% usage rate, which is insanely high. Considering I'm leaning on him to get more minutes, the usage rate is consistent enough to go with the over here.
Ryan Coleman is a featured writer at BettingPros. Follow him on Twitter @ryancoleman_98. For more from Ryan, check out his archive.