The NBA Finals will be all the rage in the basketball world now! The young Oklahoma City Thunder will host the never-say-no Indiana Pacers in Game 1 on 05/06. The superstar battle between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Tyrese Haliburton is going to be one for the ages.
But don’t forget incredible stars, Jalen Williams and Pascal Siakam among other exciting athletes. Here is a look at the predictions related to the player props for the Finals Opener based on BetMGM and FanDuel.
Tyrese Haliburton O 9.5 Assists for +100 (BetMGM)
Haliburton has been in superb touch during the postseason. He had phenomenal first-round and semi-final performances, but his Eastern Conference Finals heroics were on a whole other level.
He scored 21 PPG while delivering 10.5 dimes per game. He cleared the projections on four of the six occasions and has dished 10+ assists in 9 out of 1 instances. Thus, I choose him to hit the 9+ assists mark again.
Myles Turner Over 14.5 points for +126 (FanDuel)
Turner is a viable tertiary scoring option for the Pacers. He can nail the long-range ball and also finish inside at a decent clip. The Knicks kept him to 13 PPG in the last series, as he scored over 14.5 just twice in six games.
He had averaged 16+ PPG before the ECF, so he is capable of doing much more. I expect him to score 14+ points again.
Pascal Siakam O 1.5 three-pointers for +135 (BetMGM)
The Pacers forward is by no means a knockdown shooter. However, he is still doing a decent job recently. He made 1.7 triples per game in the ECF series, which was a 0.3 increase from the West Semi-Finals. The forward has hit more than 1.5 three-pointers on 9 of 16 occasions.
However, the bookmakers believe the elite Thunder perimeter defense will hold him below 2 triples. On the contrary, I go for “Over” here.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Over 33.5 points (FanDuel)
SGA has been in a wonderful rhythm throughout the playoffs. The reigning regular-season MVP has put up 30+ PPG since the West Semis. The Pacers usually allow the opposition’s ace to go for 30+ point performances. It is highly likely that SGA scores around 35 or so after a week’s rest or so.
Chet Holmgren Over 16.5 points for -114 (BetMGM)
The Thunder’s power forward has been an immense contributor during the postseason. He averaged 18 PPG during the WCF series, scoring 20+ in three of the five games. The Pacers’ defense will give him plenty of chances to go “Over” the mark here.
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