The NBA Playoffs tip off Saturday. In the Eastern Conference, the No. 2 seed New York Knicks host the No. 7 seed Philadelphia 76ers in the opening round in a game that features two of the top scorers in the NBA.
Which team will win this first-round playoff contest? We’ll cover our three top player prop bets as well as which team will win Saturday’s game below.
Live player props data coming soon for Jalen Brunson.
New York Knicks’ Jalen Brunson UNDER 30.5 Points
This season has been New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson’s arrival as one of the best players in the NBA. Brunson was fourth in the league scoring this season, averaging 28.7 points per game.
As well, the 6’ 2” athlete is averaging 6.7 assists, the 13th-best average among all NBA players. Against the 76ers, Brunson has struggled to score. Philadelphia has held the guard to just 22.3 points in four games this season.
Brunson was held under his player point prop bet total in all four outings, so expect the Villanova product to be held below 30 points again Saturday in the opening-round game.
Live player props data coming soon for Tyrese Maxey.
Philadelphia 76ers’ Tyrese Maxey OVER 2.5 3-Point Field Goals
With Philadelphia center Joel Embiid back in the lineup, teams are forced to guard the center and cheat the paint. That’s helping the 76ers find their outside shooters for open looks. Philly guard Tyrese Maxey is one player benefiting from Embiid’s return as the guard is hitting over 3.2 three-point shots per game in April.
Against the Knicks, expect Maxey to continue that streak. In three outings against New York this season, Maxey has hit 2.8 three-point field goals in those outings.
Factoring out a 1-of-7 outing back in January, Maxey has connected on three or more three-pointers against the Knicks each time, the mark he needs to cover this player prop bet.
Live player props data coming soon for Joel Embiid.
Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid OVER 11.5 Rebounds
At the end of January, Joel Embiid took an extended leave from the team to address persistent injury issues. The 7’ 0” center returned in April, recording three straight games with at least 30 points and 11 rebounds to pace the 76ers during their current six-game winning streak.
Against Miami Tuesday, Embiid recorded 23 points and 15 rebounds in his team’s 105-104 victory. With New York forward Julius Randle out, Embiid will have an easier time inside against the Knicks.
While his point player prop total is an achievable 30.5 points, his rebounding prop bet is a better option to select for this opening-round game. Expect Embiid to have at least 12 rebounds Saturday.
Best Bet: Philadelphia (+3)
With the playoffs upon us, expect most games to be a much closer contest than fans witnessed during the regular season. While Philadelphia won once by six points, the Knicks beat the 76ers three other times by 14 or more points.
Conventional logic would suggest that the Knick will win the home opener after enjoying a week of rest. However, Embiid’s return and the 76ers’ current hot streak lead me to believe the upset will occur Saturday and Philadelphia will win this series-opening contest.
