NBA Player Props & Bets: Friday (Pacers vs. Knicks)
The NBA conference finals are underway. Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final was a true treat. Hopefully, we will get a similarly exciting game tonight in what's been a great year. As always, monitor any potential news and lineup announcements.
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 playoffs, but you never know what might happen. The second-best way is to shop around at different sportsbooks. NBA 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.
Friday’s Best NBA Player Prop Bets
Last Time: 2-0 | Season: 167-120
Tyrese Haliburton Under 35.5 Points + Assists + Rebounds (-120 at DraftKings Sportsbook)
I know, I can hear you through your device reading this saying "you're crazy," and I feel it a bit, too. Looking at the stats, Tyrese Haliburton has covered this line in just 38% of games this year. Yes, his last two outings have been insane, but I'm not going to take those two games and say he's locked in for another one.
New York is going to do everything in its power to stop Haliburton today, especially after the "choke" celebration, so narratively, this prop works in my favor as well. His usage rate should come down a bit here. For a third straight road playoff game, I expect he comes back down to Earth as well before the series moves to Indy.
Karl-Anthony Towns Over 37.5 Points + Assists + Rebounds (-105 at DraftKings Sportsbook)
I keep coming back to Karl-Anthony Towns props, but I will continue doing so until there's a bit more respect on his lines. I don't expect him to sink four shots from deep every night, but that just shows how many ways he can get there on this prop with 12 different boards the other night to pair with it.
I still expect a lot of focus to be on Jalen Brunson, and this is a line Towns has covered in over half his games this year. The Knicks are due for a bounce-back win as a 6-point favorite tonight after falling apart in Game 1. I'm comfortable backing Towns with favorable odds. He also attempted 11 free throws to open the series, which is a repeatable number and is enough for me to back this prop confidently.
Jalen Brunson Under 40.5 Points + Assists + Rebounds (-110 at Caesars Sportsbook)
As I mentioned earlier, I expect a lot of focus to be on Jalen Brunson tonight, so I'm going to put my money where my mouth is. The Pacers allowed the 10th-fewest combined points + rebounds + assists to opposing point guards this season.
After going off for 43 points on 25 field-goal attempts, I expect Indiana to at least force him to pass it elsewhere. The NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet projects him for around 37 on the combo prop, which is still a favorable line, considering he's only gotten over 40 combined points + rebounds + assists in three of his last seven games, one of which barely covered.
Make sure to check out our other best bets for Friday:
Ryan Coleman is a featured writer at BettingPros. Follow him on Twitter @ryancoleman_98. For more from Ryan, check out his archive.