The 2022-23 NBA season officially kicks off on Tuesday with a pair of primetime matchups. One of those games features the Philadelphia 76ers vs Boston Celtics in a showdown between Eastern Conference contenders.
Here's three of the'best prop bets'for the 76ers-Celtics game, courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook's NBA odds.
76ers vs Celtics Player Props
1. Joel Embiid – Assists: Over 3.5 (+132)
MVP runner-up Joel Embiid will look to start his year off strong in Boston. The Celtics were somewhat successful limiting him as scorer last season, keeping him below 20 points in two of four matchups, but that only caused his playmaking to hit another level. Embiid recorded at least 5 assists in each of his four matchups with Boston last year — and that was all without James Harden as his runningmate. Harden should be even better in 2022-23 after joining the 76ers mid-season, and his presence gives Embiid a star scorer to lean on when defenses collapse on him.
2. Derrick White – Made Threes: Under 1.5 (-108)
The 76ers were one of the best teams at defending the 3-point line last season, which could be bad news for Derrick White. The guard hit one or fewer 3-pointers in over half (41 of 75) of his games played in 2021-2022, including an 0-for-3 showing in his lone game for the Celtics against Philadelphia. Philly prioritized its defense beyond the arc last year, limiting opponents to the sixth-fewest 3PA and 10th-lowest 3PT%. With White an afterthought on this offense, it's difficult to see him having the chance to light it up from deep.
3. P.J. Tucker – Rebounds: Over 4.5 (+100)
This prop is incredibly attractive, especially at plus-money. P.J. Tucker posted at least 5 rebounds in 44 of 71 games played (62%) last season and averaged 5.5 RPG on the year, so he's maintained a strong presence on the boards despite getting up there in age. Further adding to the appeal is Boston's frontcourt, which is missing a huge piece in Robert Williams (9.6 RPG last season). Instead, they'll rely on non-rebounding threats like Grant Williams and Blake Griffin to back up Al Horford. Tucker's path to hitting the over is abundantly clear.