There’s just one NBA playoff game on Wednesday night, and it’s a big one for the Boston Celtics, who fell behind 1-0 to the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night.
With Boston trailing in the series, the team needs a bounce-back performance at TD Garden on Wednesday, but Joel Embiid (sprained knee) is expected back for the Sixers in this game.
Despite Embiid’s return, my two favorite bets in this matchup are prop bets for two Boston guards:
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- Malcolm Brogdon OVER 13.5 Points (-110)
- Marcus Smart OVER 19.5 Points, Rebounds and Assists (-125)
Malcolm Brogdon OVER 13.5 Points (-110)
Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon had a huge Game 1 for Boston, taking 16 shots in 33:51 of playing time on his way to his first 20-point game of the playoffs.
The former Rookie of the Year has been on fire as of late. Since Game 3 against the Atlanta Hawks, Brogdon has scored 14 or more points in five straight, and he even had 13 in Game 2 against Atlanta.
The minutes in Game 1 were a playoff high for Brogdon, and he has double-digit shot attempts in six of seven playoff games. He’s a solid bet at this number to go OVER again.
Marcus Smart OVER 19.5 Points, Rebounds and Assists (-125)
It may not always be pretty with Marcus Smart, but he’s going to stuff the stat sheet on a nightly basis.
This postseason, Smart has 20 or more points, rebounds and assists in six of his seven games, averaging 16.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game.
Despite taking just seven shots in Game 1, Smart finished with 12-3-7, easily clearing this number. He’s going to play a ton as Boston’s top defensive option at guard, so I expect 19.5 to be a reachable number for the seventh time in eight games.
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