Tonight marks the long-awaited start of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks. If you had the matchup correctly predicted going into last weekend, you were definitely in the minority. It is anyone’s guess how the looming series between the Hawks and Bucks shakes out. Game 1 will give us our first glimpse of what might be in store. For those not comfortable betting on a side or the game total out of the gates, NBA player props are the perfect solution. Read on for the best NBA betting picks today from Vegas odds, including an expert prediction for Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. Here are some of the best NBA betting tips today.
NBA Betting Prediction: NBA Player Props | June 23
Kevin Huerter Under 4.5 Rebounds (BetMGM)
Hawks wing Kevin Huerter played his two best games of the entire postseason in Games 6 and 7 of the conference semifinals. After a 17-point, 11-rebound double-double in the Game 6 loss, Huerter came up huge with 27 points and another seven rebounds in the decisive Game 7. He also dished seven assists and notched a pair of steals over the two games combined. While Atlanta certainly welcomed the rise in production, betting under 4.5 rebounds for Huerter in tonight’s matchup is the play.
When it comes to the full-season sample size, Huerter’s rebounding efforts in the last two games are vast overachievements. This is a player who averaged just 3.3 boards per game and hadn’t had more than five in any playoff game prior to his Game 6 output. For as difficult of a rebounding matchup as the Philadelphia 76ers were in the previous round, the Bucks are that much tougher. Milwaukee tied for the league lead in average rebounds per game as a team (56). On top of that, Huerter popped up on the Hawks’ injury report ahead of tonight’s contest. Although he is listed probable and is fully expected to play, it adds to the allure of playing under on these prop odds.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Over 5.5 Assists (BetMGM)
Who doesn’t love a good plus-money odds prop prediction on a superstar to exceed expectations in the NBA playoffs? Bettors can find just that tonight with a play to the over on 5.5 assists for Giannis Antetokounmpo. While there might be some hesitation given that he failed to eclipse that total in all seven games of the Bucks’ Round 2 series, tonight’s matchup is a whole different animal.Â
Over the course of the full NBA betting season, Antetokounmpo averaged 5.9 assists per game. He also went over the odds of 5.5 twice in Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs, finishing with no fewer than five assists in any of those four games. Against the Nets in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, he clearly adopted a “score-first” mentality. Unless the Bucks are yielding points to the Hawks tonight in bunches, Antetokounmpo may have more opportunities to distribute to his teammates. The Awesemo NBA Player Props Tool cannot resist the +116 odds on this over. Make sure to include it among NBA betting picks today.
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Bryn Forbes Over 5.5 Points (BetMGM)
Simply a reserve piece to spell Milwaukee’s starters minutes off the bench, it came as no shock that Bryn Forbes barely played in Game 7 last Saturday. A team’s bench always tends to shrink in a win-or-go-home scenario. With blowouts outstanding, the first game of a playoff series is when reserves are most likely to see extended playing time. Forbes figures to be a whole lot closer to his season average of 19.3 minutes per game tonight than he was last weekend. As such, the NBA player props line of 5.5 points is pretty cheap for a player who averaged 10 per game this season. The betting odds are also slightly juiced to the over here. This is perhaps a telling sign that this over is a worthwhile prediction to include among Game 1 picks.
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