Player props have become among the most popular bets in the industry, but while the amount of states with legalized gambling is growing, some may feel left out.
Enter: PrizePicks.
With PrizePicks, you get the opportunity to essentially parlay game prop over/unders with cash payouts depending on how many you get correct on that day’s slate.
You can do a Flex Play or a Power Play. A Flex Play gives you lesser odds, but you can win money even if you don’t nail every pick. Meanwhile, a Power Play is similar to a parlay — it’s all or nothing.
Here’s how I would approach Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the Warriors and Celtics.
What is PrizePicks? A daily fantasy operator — meaning they’re available in more states (30) than sports betting is! — PrizePicks offers a unique opportunity for action on player props in which you parlay two or more plays together.
NBA PrizePicks Parlay
Jayson Tatum Over 5.5 Assists
I'm expecting Boston to win Game 3. The Celtics return home, where the turnover and free-throw battle should swing in their direction. Boston has been nearly invincible after a loss all playoffs and, really, for four months now.
I'm playing my PrizePicks entry for a Boston winning script, and if that's the case, I have to ride Tatum's assists.
His passing has been a real key to Boston's success. In 13 Celtics playoff wins this year, Tatum is averaging 7.1 assists with at least five dimes in all but one outing. Those numbers drop all the way to 4.3 assists per game in losses, with four or fewer in 5-of-7 losses.
Tatum had a monster passing Game 1, with 13 assists and a massive 19 potential assists. Those numbers disappeared to just four potential assists in Game 2, and Boston's offense felt stagnant.
When the Celtics win, it's usually because the offense remembered to move the ball, run its best stuff and play team ball — with Tatum feeding his teammates and letting the "others" hit shots rather than play hero ball.
Draymond Green Over 2.5 Turnovers
Green is the heart and soul of the Warriors, so it wasn't shocking to see him come out and set the tone early in Game 2.
Golden State was shocked and embarrassed in front of its home crowd during that Game 1 collapse.
On the first play of Game 2, Green tied up Al Horford for a jump ball to set the tone, and Draymond was super aggressive on both ends all game.
And he was good, too.
Green was a big part of why Golden State won that game. But more Draymond involvement usually means more turnovers — he had three in Game 2. He's now gone over 2.5 turnovers in nine of the 13 Warriors games since the first-round frolic, hitting this over 69% of the time.
With Steph Curry so hot, it might be time for Boston to change its Curry coverage and try to get the ball out of his hands some. That usually means more Draymond ball handling and decision making, which typically leads to some good and some bad.
This would only help our over.
Marcus Smart Over 13.5 Points
Green set the tone in Game 2 for the Warriors, and I'm expecting Marcus Smart to do that for Boston in Game 3.
Smart is the heart of this Boston team. You know he'll be fired up in front of the home crowd, as he gets this defense locked in. And when Smart is locked in, he's typically really aggressive on the offensive end, too.
Smart had an ugly Game 2, with only two points on 1-of-6 shooting, plus five turnovers. He was much better in Game 1 (18 points), and he was aggressive early on, hitting four 3s.
That's more of the Smart we've seen against the Warriors in recent games. He averaged 18.2 points in his last five games vs. the Warriors before the Finals, and he's gone over this line of 13.5 points in five of his last seven playoff games and 11-of-17 games overall.
Expect a more aggressive Smart at home in Game 3, and for better or worse, that almost always means more involvement, more shots and more points.
