Domantas Sabonis is part of our PrizePicks props parlay for Saturday's NBA playoff games.
The play-in games are fun as an appetizer, but now it’s time for the entree. The first-round matchups in the 2023 NBA Playoffs tip off Saturday afternoon, beginning with the reunion of the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers, who can’t seem to avoid each other these last few years. After sweeping four regular-season meetings, the 76ers are 8.5-point home favorites for this contest.
Boston is also a sizeable favorite over Atlanta in Game 1 on the Celtics’ home floor. Theirs was another lopsided regular season series, with Boston winning all three matchups by an average of more than 13 points.
Of the series matchups that have already been determined, the tussle between the Cavaliers and the Knicks is among the most evenly matched. Cleveland is favored by 5.5 points at home, but New York took home the W in three of their four games during the regular season.
The first night’s finale involves the Golden State Warriors traveling to Sacramento to take on the hopeful Kings. This matchup is currently a toss-up according to oddsmakers, and, aside from an April 7 matchup that did not feature both teams at full strength, the home team won each meeting throughout the season.
In a historic game for the franchise, we’ll see if that trend continues for Sacramento tonight.
Our PrizePicks player props among this four-pack of games are ahead.
The last time Dinwiddie played in an Eastern Conference playoff game was for Brooklyn against Philadelphia in 2019, so this is a full-circle moment for the veteran guard.
Dinwiddie struggled shooting the ball in 26 games after being traded back from Dallas in the Kyrie Irving deal, shooting 40% from the floor and 29% from three in 35 minutes per game. He scored just nine points in a home loss to the 76ers within a week of that trade and has played the role of facilitator more so in the last two months than at any point in his career.
He’s averaged 9.1 assists per game since early February, by far the best 25-game stretch in his career as a passer. We project Dinwiddie to continue in that role for a team leaning on their young scorers against Philadelphia.
Clint Capela UNDER 11 Rebounds
Capela has averaged more than ten rebounds per game in his last nine playoff series, excluding an injury-shortened appearance in the first round of last year’s postseason, and has played in three conference finals as a member of the Rockets and Hawks.
Experience and past performance are not a concern for the big man from Switzerland, but his inflated rebounding performance during the play-in victory against Miami has us thinking the public will be on the over.
PrizePicks offering Capela’s rebounding total right on the number almost turns this into an 11.5 total at a traditional betting window, given how the app grades their plays. We’ll take Capela under in Game 1 of Atlanta’s first-round series against Boston.
Domantas Sabonis OVER 33 Pts+Rebs
The league’s leading rebounder continued to build an impressive career resume in the 2022-23 season, one that could see him named to an All-NBA Team.
Sabonis joined Nikola Jokic, Oscar Robertson, and Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history to average more than 19 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists per game and became an All-Star for the third time.
The Gonzaga product averaged 21.3 points and 16.7 rebounds per game in three matchups with Golden State this season, and we like him to pad those numbers at home.
The Warriors’ struggles on the road this season will be tested with some stakes on the line, and we project Sabonis to lead the charge against the Warriors’ bid to repeat as champions.
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Nicholas Berault is a proud Penn State alum whose past work has been featured on FantasyPros. He is an avid golfer and a collector of pin flags and sneakers. As a senior writer at EatWatchBet, Nicholas serves as an NFL, CFB, and NBA betting analyst.
