With Joel Embiid expected to return, who will win Game 2 when the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers face off? Our top NBA player props and best bets for Wednesday are based on the best NBA odds.
We've got just one game on the NBA slate tonight as the Philadelphia 76ers return to TD Garden for Game 2 against the Boston Celtics after stealing Game 1. Joel Embiid is on track to return tonight, per Shams Charania, which would give a major boost to the Sixers on both ends of the court.
With just a single game, we had to get creative with player props and straight bets for today's piece. We've got three props focused on players staying hot from beyond the arc and others bouncing back. We're also looking at another big spread in favor of Boston.
Here are our top NBA player props and best bets for Wednesday (odds via DraftKings, FanDu el, and PointsBet; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Wednesday's NBA schedule and odds
- Philadelphia 76ers (+7.5) vs. Boston Celtics
Wednesday's NBA best bets
- Player prop: Jaylen Brown Over 29.5 points (+230 via FanDuel) ???
- Player prop: James Harden Over 35.5 points + rebounds + assists (-110 via PointsBet) ???
- Player prop: Jayson Tatum, James Harden, Jaylen Brown, and Tyrese Maxey to each make 2+ 3-pointers (+126 via FanDuel) ????
- Spread: Celtics -7.5 vs. 76ers (-110 via DraftKings) ????
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Wednesday's NBA player prop picks
Brown's points prop is set at 24.5 across our best sportsbooks, but we can do better with this alternate line at FanDuel. After scoring at least 30 in three straight to close out the first-round series, Brown scored just 23 points in Game 1 against Philly.
Brown attempted seven shots in the first quarter, but shot the ball just three times over the final three quarters. His 10 attempts are his fewest in any game this season in which he played at least 20 minutes, as he averaged a career-high 20.6 field goal attempts per game in the regular season. We won't count on him being so uninvolved in a must-win Game 2.
Harden turned back the clock in Game 1, delivering a 45-point performance that matched his playoff career high (2015) and the most points he'd scored in three seasons. We won't be banking on a repeat performance tonight, especially with Joel Embiid back in action, but Harden isn't going to disappear.
Harden took a lot of heat after last season's playoff meltdown and his continued regression as a scorer this season. As he noted in the postgame presser following Game 1, he's a rare player who can score 40 or hand out 20 assists on any given night.
He eclipsed 35.5 PRA in each of his last two and three of his last five, and he averaged 40 PRA against the Celtics in the regular season. In those four matchups, Harden hit 36 PRA twice and 35 PRA in the other two contests.
Make sure to check out Shane Jackson's pick in his 76ers vs. Celtics preview for a different Harden-related prop.
A four-leg parlay isn't typical for this piece, but as mentioned above, we're branching out a bit since there's only one game on the slate. All four of these players averaged better than two triples made in the regular season, and all four have average d better than that mark in the postseason. They can keep it going tonight.
Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Tyrese Maxey have hit at least two three-pointers in all but one postseason contest, while Harden has done it in each appearance. Brown has averaged the fewest postseason triples of this group at 2.9, while all of the others have hit more than three per game.
No team has allowed more 3-pointers (17) or a better 3-point percentage (44.7) than Boston over its last three, so Harden and Maxey can take advantage of that defensive lag. The Celtics should be fired up to win this one on their home court, which bodes well for Tatum and Brown to come out aggressive on offense.
Check out our NBA Finals odds and NBA Finals MVP odds.
NBA game picks
We've seen Boston get complacent and take opponents for granted this season, and Monday's Game 1 loss was just the latest example. The Celtics won the regular-season series 3-1 against Philly and covered in every contest. I'm expecting Boston to come out engaged and ready to take a must-win Game 2 before the series shifts to Philly.
Embiid is expected to return for this one, but that doesn't change our wager here. The Celtics won both of their regular-season matchups against the Sixers at home, taking those games by seven and nine points, respectively. Boston covered in 26-of-45 games at home, including 17-of-30 in which they were favored by at least 7.5 points.
After failing to cover as 7.5-point favorites, Boston covered in the following game in five of the last seven instances, going back to the regular season. Embiid is at less than 100%, and Harden won't replicate his stunning offensive performance. Boston won't be caught napping in Game 2.
NBA best bets made 05/03/2023 at 12:35 p.m. ET.
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