Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals is upon us, and there are plenty of ways to attack it in the prop market.
This is the third time these teams have faced off in the Conference Finals in four seasons, so we know how this series typically goes. With that in mind, here are my three favorite props for Game 1:
Heat vs. Celtics best NBA prop bets
- Derrick White OVER 7.5 Points
- Caleb Martin OVER 4.5 Rebounds
- Bam Adebayo OVER 27.5 Points and Rebounds
Derrick White OVER 7.5 Points
Derrick White is being undervalued here after coming off the bench for two games. White scored nine and three points in those games, but overall he’s averaging 12.8 points per game in the playoffs.
While White wasn’t needed as much against Philly, the Heat like to play small, which would be conducive to the Celtics’ one-big lineups with White, Marcus Smart and Malcolm Brogdon rotating at the guard spots.
This is my favorite prop for this game.
Caleb Martin OVER 4.5 Rebounds
Caleb Martin could see some extended run in this series, as the Heat need wings to guard Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Martin played more than Kevin Love against the New York Knicks, and I’d expect the minutes discrepancy to be even wider in this series.
In 11 playoff games, Martin is averaging 5.3 rebounds per game, clearing this prop in seven of those 11 appearances.
This is strictly a volume play for me with Martin averaging 27.5 minutes per game in the playoffs.
Bam Adebayo OVER 27.5 Points and Rebounds
During the regular season, Bam Adebayo dominated the Celtics in four games.
Here’s what his points and rebounds numbers looked like during the regular season:
Game 1: 19 points, eight rebounds
Game 2: 23 points, six rebounds
Game 3: 28 points, seven rebounds
Game 4: 30 points, 15 rebounds
Adebayo has cleared this total in three of those four games, and he dominated in the Knicks series, scoring at least 15 points and grabbing at least eight boards in every game.
I love that floor for Bam, so I’ll take him to go OVER against the Celtics’ two-big rotation of Robert Williams III and Al Horford.
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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.