As the action of the NBA Playoffs continues to sizzle, we are now just a few games away from the Eastern Conference Finals. Cleveland and Boston are in the midst of a hard-fought series with the latter now just one win away from advancing to the next round. Before the action resumes this evening, we break down the best prop bets for Cavaliers vs. Celtics.
Best Bets for Celtics-Cavaliers: Prop Bet Picks for Game 5
Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semi-finals series between the Celtics and Cavaliers will tip off this evening from the TD Garden in Boston. The Celtics currently hold a 3-1 series lead after winning Games 1, 3, and 4, and have a chance to close it out tonight in front of their home crowd.
The Cavaliers looked poised to make this a difficult series after an impressive road win in Game 2, but were thoroughly out-played in Game 3 back in Cleveland and lost star guard Donovan Mitchell to injury in the process. Mitchell missed Game 4 and is expected to be out once again for Game 5, making it even more of an uphill battle for the Cavs.
Before the action resumes this evening, let’s check out some of the best prop bets for Cavaliers vs. Celtics as Game 5 could be the final matchup of this series.
Note: All odds and prop bets on this page are provided courtesy of bet365 Sportsbook. First-time users on the platform can score the fantastic bet365 bonus code to secure their choice of two welcome offers.
Derrick White over 13.5 points (-115)
One of the breakout performers in this year’s NBA Playoffs, Derrick White has been a huge factor in propelling Boston to the verge of another Eastern Conference Finals. Increasing his offensive output, White has scored in double figures in all but one of his Playoff matchups through the first two rounds, averaging 18.2 points per game.
For Game 5, White’s total points prop total is sitting at 13.5. Although Derrick White has failed to score at least 14 points in his last three games, he had gone over that number in four consecutive outings before that. I’m backing White to score over his 13.5-point prop total this evening as the Celtics look to close this series out.
Max Strus over 3.5 assists (-115)
In what was a crushing blow for the Cavaliers, their star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell was ruled out of Game 4 with a calf strain, an injury that is expected to keep him out of Game 5 as well. Cleveland losing its number-one offensive option has put more responsibility on the shoulders of Max Strus, and in Game 4 the first-year Cavalier delivered in a big way scoring 15 points and dishing out 7 assists.
In particular, the loss of Donovan Mitchell means Strus has to operate much more on-ball rather than his customary catch-and-shoot role while Mitchell runs the show. The result in Game 4 yielded Strus’ highest assist output of the Playoffs, and I expect that to continue tonight as the Celtics will likely try to prevent him from shooting open threes. With his assist prop number set at 3.5 I’m taking Strus to surpass that in Game 5 and go over the total.
Al Horford under 15.5 points + rebounds (-110)
The Celtics veteran big man has been forced into a starting role since the Round 1 injury that sidelined Kristaps Porzingis. And while Horford’s minutes have increased, his production has not correlated thus far. Looking at the combo props for this evening, I believe there is a no-brainer pick when it comes to Horford.
In the points + rebounds category, Horford’s prop for Game 5 is set at 15.5 and I believe he will go under this total. So far in these Playoffs, Horford has recorded over 15.5 points + rebounds just one time (Game 1 of Round 1 vs. Miami). Since then, he has had eight straight games recording less than 15.5 points + rebounds. It’s a tough matchup for Horford vs. the Cavaliers young frontcourt, and I expect the result to be yet another pedestrian performance from Big Al.
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