Post: Prop Hunt: NBA Finals Game 1 best bets

NBA player prop odds best bets

There’s no better time to bet on basketball than the NBA playoffs. Stars up their minutes, coaches cut their rotations to keep their biggest names on the court, and the playoff series format guarantees repeat match-ups. That allows us to take advantage of potential mismatches and find the best value player props.

We’ll be providing you with daily NBA player prop bets throughout the 2025 playoffs, with expert analysis and breakdowns for each selection!


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Today’s NBA Prop Bet of the Day

Lou Dort over 5.5 threes attempted

Dort leads all Thunder players in attempted threes during this playoff run, having shot 6.4 per game. While he’s primarily known as a defender, this game should play into his hands, given that he’s likely going to be matching up with Tyrese Haliburton at both ends of the court.

For all Haliburton’s talent, he’s an issue defensively. That’s been clear in the regular season meetings, as Dort made six of his seven attempted threes in their March meeting, while he shot eight times from deep when they clashed in December. While he took a reduced role against a strong Timberwolves defence, Dort finished with 10 attempts from the perimeter in their Game 5 victory. Back him to clear 5.5 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.


NBA Finals selections

Aaron Nesmith over 3.5 personal fouls at 20/27

Andrew Nembhard to score 15+ points at 23/10

Nesmith is likely to be the man tasked with guarding Shai, given his extensive time on Jalen Brunson in the last series. Nesmith missed the December meeting between the two, which saw Andrew Nembhard on SGA, earning him four personal fouls. Nesmith finished with the same tally in their clash in March.

Nesmith has hit at least four fouls in 11 of his 16 appearances in this postseason, including four of the six meetings with the Knicks. Meanwhile, SGA shot a combined 23 free-throws across the two regular season meetings, so expect him to get plenty of calls.

SGA’s line for attempted free-throws is 10.5, so he’s expected to draw plenty of fouls. A better angle on a similar outcome is to back Nesmith’s over for fouls, ahead of the biggest game of his career.

With Nesmith taking the SGA assignment, Nembhard should be a key offensive option. He scored 23 points and 16 points in the two regular-season meetings. He’s also been fantastic in Game 1s for Indiana so far, scoring 17, 23 and, 15 points in series openers in this post-season.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander over 7.5 assists at 5/4

The best way to get behind the MVP is to look to his assist line, having recorded eight assists in both clashes between the pair this season. He’s been improving on the that front throughout the postseason, as teams throw more at him to prevent him scoring.

SGA recorded at least eight assists in all but one of their five Conference Final games, only falling short in reduced minutes during a bizarre Game 3 slump in Minnesota.

He started well in the previous two series, with eight assists in both clashes with the Denver Nuggets, before posting 9 and 8 in the opening home clashes against Minnesota. Back him to follow that up with eight more assists in Game 1 of the Finals.


What are NBA Player Props?

In addition to betting on games, which we cover in our daily NBA tips, player props allow you to predict how a player will perform in individual stat categories. The most popular bets tend to be over/under player props, which mostly revolve around points, rebounds and assists.

NBA prop lines appear a little after the main moneyline and spread odds. These are often linked to player stat lines from the regular season. Our NBA playoff betting strategy is focused on finding favourable matchups or increased minutes, which can help players to hit the over.

When will the NBA prop bet of the day be posted?

With the playoffs running almost daily from now until June, our daily NBA props will go live each afternoon in the UK. We aim to have our best NBA prop bet for tonight’s playoff games live well before the action tips off.

Underrated NBA playoff prop markets

The most popular NBA prop bets tend to be based around points + rebounds + assists (PRA). However, betting markets for player stats extend far beyond that. Throughout the NBA playoffs, you’ll find prop lines on other markets like threes made, steals, blocks and even turnovers.

NBA playoff betting tips

We have an in-depth NBA playoffs preview, complete with our best bets from the first round to the NBA finals.

NBA Prop Betting Tips for the Playoffs

There’s little doubt that the game changes from the regular season to the playoffs, which is something to consider for your NBA playoff prop picks. Teams shorten their rotations, cutting opportunities for players further down the roster. Stars have the ball in their hands much more, while the prospect of a seven-game series opens up an opportunity to bet focused on matchups between the two teams.

We’ll be keeping an eye on the latest NBA playoff player prop trends through our daily best bets.


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