We have a 6-game NBA slate tonight and what I believe could be a preview of the NBA Finals, with the Boston Celtics taking on the Oklahoma City Thunder. Yes, I truly think that is a real possibility. Another interesting game is the Orlando Magic vs Golden State Warriors nightcap at 10:00 pm ET, with 2 teams on very different trajectories. I'm excited to see how that one plays out. Lastly, Joel Embiid returns tonight after a 4-game absence as the 76e rs take on the Bulls. You can get our NBA picks for tonight’s matchups, but for now, let’s get into my best NBA player prop bet of the night.
Tyrese Maxey (PHI) over 25.5 points (-111)'
Line available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Tyrese Maxey should be excited to see Embiid returning to the 76ers lineup tonight against the Bulls as his performance without him was inconsistent. In the 4 games Embiid missed, Maxey had 12, 23, 42 and 20 points. Outside of the 42-point performance against the Rockets, the rest was below his season standard. Of the 25 games they played together this season, Maxey has gone over this line in 14 of them. He's 1-1 against this line when playing Chicago, with the miss coming when Embiid was out last Saturday. Maxey still managed 22 field-goal attempts, but shot an abysmal 36% from the field and 25% from beyond the arc. Maxey is averaging 27.6 ppg at home this season and the 76ers will look to avenge their loss just before the new year. I’m playing 1 unit on this. If you're looking for some plus-money odds action, I’m also sprinkling 0.5 units on Maxey 30+ and 76ers win at +205 on FanDuel.