We are into the NBA playoffs now with some incredible games to start the second round. We have two games tonight, both in intriguing series with the one-seeds in interesting situations. If you're just joining us for the first time, welcome. It's been a great year, and I hope we continue that trend tonight. 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 books. 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 a single unit.
Get instant alerts when a line reaches your target via the BettingPros App >>
Friday’s Best NBA Player Props
Last Time: 1-2 | Season: 159-114
Chet Holmgren Over 16.5 Pts + Ast (-120 at FanDuel)
After dropping Game 1, OKC bounced back and clobbered Denver to remind everyone what kind of team the Thunder are. Chet tallied 15 points and a pair of assists, and I expect another such performance as the series heads to Denver. He managed efficient production with just a 17 percent usage rate and 26 minutes on the court. His seasonal usage rate is three points higher, and his minutes should be closer to 30 minutes tonight. I think he's in line to go over his combo prop tonight. I've mentioned this before but Denver finished the second half of the season as the 23rd ranked defense while allowed the 10th highest scoring numbers to opposing power forwards in their final 15 games. I eyed Chet Overs to start the series and I'm going with the same strategy here in Game 3.
Bennedict Mathurin Over 13.5 Pts + Ast (-105 at bet365)
There is a lot up in the air for Cleveland/Indiana tonight as the series moves to the Hoosier State. That means there's a lot in the air for prop betting. Stay on top of the news, turn on Twitter notifications, whatever you can do to try and react before the market does will keep you with plus EV bets and solid closing line value. Now that's mostly for the Cleveland side. For Indiana, I'm riding the solid last couple of games from Mathurin and expect another such outing tonight. After recovering from his missed time, he should be back to his 23-25 minutes a night. His usage has been an impressive 26 percent throughout the playoffs and if those numbers continue he should cover this combo prop.
Aaron Gordon Under 17.5 Points (-120 at ESPN Bet)
While Gordon has been a step-up in class these playoffs, I will continue fading the Denver forward. This is a line he has covered in just 36 percent of games this season and despite covering it in four of his last five games, he's due for regression. We saw that on Wednesday with just 10 points and I'm expecting something similar tonight. OKC is the league’s leading defense this season and despite needing the first game to shake off the cobwebs a bit after handling Memphis, I'm expecting more defensive domination tonight out of the Thunder, even playing at elevation.
Whether you're new to sports betting or a betting pro, our How To Bet and Sports Betting Strategy and Advice pages are for you. You can get started with our How To Section - including How to Avoid the 7 Biggest Sports Betting Mistakes - or head to a more advanced strategy - like Thinking Like an Expert Sports Bettor - to learn more.
Ryan Coleman is a featured writer at BettingPros. Follow him on Twitter @ryancoleman_98. For more from Ryan, check out his archive.