Saturday is a blessing for fans of the NBA Playoffs, as a couple of bangers are on tap.
First, you’ve got the defending champion Boston Celtics in New York to take on the Knicks, desperately trying to work their way back into this series after losing the first two games at home.
Golden State, meanwhile, returns home with a split in Minnesota, but their chances hinge on Steph Curry healing his hamstring in time to come and save the day. This will be the second straight game they will play without him.
We’ve dug through the books to find the best player props available. Check out our free picks below.
NBA Player Prop Picks for May 10
Jimmy Butler Under 22.5 points (-115 at Bet365)
The purpose of trading for Jimmy Butler was for him to step in and be the man in Golden State if/when Steph Curry wasn’t cooking.
But I’m not so sure that Playoff Jimmy will arrive in this series. He’s definitely still feeling the effects of a back injury he suffered in Game 2 against Houston, as Butler lacks explosion.
He’s also being handled by the athletic wings of Minnesota: namely, Jaden McDaniels and Anthony Edwards.
Butler was held to 17 points without Curry in Game 2. While I do believe he’ll still be a key cog for the Dubs in this matchup, I think it will be three games in a row in this series where he’ll fail to clear 22.5 points.
Jaylen Brown Over 1.5 3-point makes (-150 at Bet365)
We’re about to find out just how resilient the defending champs are when the Celtics fight for their playoff lives against New York in what should be a wild scene at MSG.
It should start with reigning Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, and cascade from there.
Despite averaging 21.5 points so far this series, Brown has struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 3-for-17, a minuscule 17.6% clip.
Boston has been awful from 3-point range in this series, but at some point, the team that ranked ninth at 36.8% in the regular season must show up.
Boston has shot just 25-for-100 from distance in the series overall, but this is their game: they led the league in 3-point attempts this season at more than 48 per contest.
I look for Brown to lead the way in a shooting resurgence.
OG Anunoby Over 1.5 steals vs Celtics (-125 at Bet365)
There’s probably not a better set of wing defenders on a team in these playoffs than Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby.
While Bridges has been outstanding in both end-of-game possessions, Anunoby has been a force as well, primarily taking on the defensive assignment of Tatum or Brown in the halfcourt.
Anunoby has a 1.5 steal line for Saturday, which tracks right in line with his splits: OG averaged 1.5 steals per game at home in the regular season.
He’s had at least two steals in six of New York’s eight playoff games, including Game 2, when he accounted for four steals in their stunning 91-90 comeback win over Boston.
