2023 NBA Finals odds: Nikola Jokic, Jimmy Butler favorites to lead series in assists

The Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat will meet up in the 2023 NBA Finals in a complete contrast of seasons. The Nuggets, the No. 1 seed in the West, will have homecourt advantage over the No. 8 seed Heat from the East.

Let's take a look at the player statistics market on DraftKings Sportsbook and make a prediction about who will lead the Finals in assists.

2023 NBA Finals assists leader odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Nikola Jokic: -20000
Jimmy Butler: +1400
Jamal Murray: +1700
Kyle Lowry: +10000
Gabe Vincent: +10000

There's a chasm between Jokic and everybody else in this market, with a secondary gap between Murray and the two Heat guards. Assists are largely about usage, and the three players at the top of this odds table are going to have the most usage. There's a reason Jokic is so highly rated on this prop. He totaled 47 assists in the last series, with Murray coming in at 21 dimes. Butler tallied 43 assists in the East finals, while Lowry (27) and Vincent (13) were well behind him.

Best bet: Jimmy Butler (+1400)

You can bet on Jokic, but there's no payout unless you pair this market with other props. The big man topped Butler by four dimes despite playing three less games, so we can assume this is a wrap. However, Butler does offer the best value among the realistic alternate options.

The Heat are going to need their star to do most of the heavy lifting offensively. While that mostly focuses on scoring points, Miami's peripheral players hitting shots is important. A lot of those shots are going to come off Butler's drives, which means Butler is most likely going to be in a position to deliver the lead pass. If the shots keep falling down, Butler has a chance to edge Jokic in total assists. It's a slim chance bordering on none, but there's actual betting upside here as opposed to a -20000 next to Jokic.

  
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