The NBA Western Conference Playoffs are in full swing as the Dallas vs. Oklahoma City series is tied at 2 games apiece. The action will resume this evening with Game 5 from the Paycom Center in OKC, and we’ve selected three lines as the best prop bets for Mavericks vs. Thunder.
Best Bets for Thunder-Mavericks: Prop Bet Picks for Game 5
This matchup between Dallas and Oklahoma City has been arguably the most competitive of the Round 2 series in this year’s NBA Playoffs. In Game 1 the Thunder were victorious, only to have the Mavs come back and steal Game 2, taking home-court advantage and momentum back to Dallas. That success continued for the Mavericks as they took Game 3 and looked to be poised to go up 3-1.
However, Oklahoma City showed impressive grit and toughness winning a hard-fought Game 4 on the road in Dallas, evening this best-of-seven series at 2-2. Now the young Thunder team will look to move one step closer to the franchise’s first Western Conference Finals since the 2015-16 season. For the Mavs, it’s a golden opportunity to take a 3-1 series lead and set up a potential close-out Game 6 back in Dallas.
Before Game 5 tips off this evening in OKC, let’s take a look at three of the best prop bet picks for Thunder vs. Mavericks.
Note: All odds and prop bets on this page are provided by DraftKings Sportsbook. New users can claim the DraftKings promo code to get started with bonus bets.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander over 38.5 points + assists (-108)
Fully growing into the superstar role throughout the regular season + Playoffs, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has officially arrived as an elite NBA player. The leading scorer on the Western Conference’s best regular season team, SGA garnered MVP consideration, and his Playoff performances for OKC thus far have backed it up.
For Game 5 I’m looking at the combo props for SGA, particularly points + assists. His total is set at 38.5 and I think he’ll go over this number. Shai has reached at least 38 points + assists in three of his last four games and is coming off his best-scoring game of this series with 34 points on 14/27 shooting. Back at home for Game 5, I’m expecting SGA to continue his offensive proficiency and supply at least 39 points + assists.
Luka Doncic over 8.5 assists (-108)
For the Mavericks, their superstar Luka Doncic has been hampered by lingering injuries that have rendered him to something less than his usual excellent play. The biggest difference has been Luka’s scoring, particularly his shooting, which has been fairly inconsistent throughout these Playoffs.
That being said, Doncic is still showing elite playmaking ability averaging 8.8 assists per game in this season’s Playoffs. With his assist total for Game 5 set at 8.5, I’m rolling with Doncic to go over. He has gone over 8.5 assists in seven of his last nine games and will once again be called upon to run the show for Dallas as they look to take a 3-2 series lead.
PJ Washington under 2.5 three’s (+105)
One of the most pleasant surprises for Dallas in this Round 2 series has been the terrific three-point shooting of PJ Washington. In the four games vs. OKC thus far, he’s shooting over 51% from downtown on significant volume (19/37). That being said, it feels like an unsustainable rate, as Washington shot just 32.4% on three-point field goals during the regular season.
With his prop total for three-point makes tonight set at 2.5, I’m going to have to play the under here and take the plus-money odds. This is simply betting on regression, as all the available data on Washington’s three-point shooting suggests he will be coming back down to earth sooner rather than later.
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