Let’s be honest. Maybe your last prop bet didn’t go so well. Maybe you took Lebron James going over on a points total only to be disappointed when superman met his metaphorical kryptonite.
Or maybe you bought into the idea of the Celtics beating the Brooklyn Nets and several of their players having career-defining games.
Either way, you were down a little bit of money afterward and are probably feeling a little sour. You might even be questioning your sanity for a few of the bets you took the last time around.
It’s ok. There’s nothing wrong with losing a bet every once in a while; you just got to hope for better luck next time. You also might want to study up before settling on another wager.
With that being said, why not look at some trends that might give you an idea of what to do in the future? BeerLife Sports has you covered as we show you 5 interesting NBA prop bets and how they played out.
What do you think? Do you feel more confident in your next bet?
#5 Jusuf Nurtic goes under on rebounds in game 6
One gambling site predicted that Jusaf Nurtic would go over 10.5 rebounds in the game 6 meeting between the Portland Trailblazers and the Denver Nuggets, but it wasn’t meant to be.
In fact, Nurkic would only pull down 7 boards in their loss to the Nuggets, making the sometimes dominant star look pretty foolish. The prediction seemed based in reality, especially since Nurtic averaged around eight boards per game, including 3 games with over 10 rebounds, but Nurtic just came up short in this one.
According to ESPN’s post-season stats, Nurtic averaged 10.4 rebounds per game in the series, making his performance during game six a rarity.
Unfortunately for those that went with the over on this bet, he only notched seven, putting him short of the mark he needed.
Let this be a lesson: the Denver Nuggets can box out even the best player, which is what gamblers and players need to pick up on.
#4 Kyrie Irving under 3 assists in game 5 against Boston Celtics
Kyrie Irving has only averaged 2.8 assists per game so far in the playoffs, making him less effective than he has been in the regular season. In fact, Irving averaged 6 assists per game during the reduced schedule, creating more ball movement for the Nets.
Fast forward to game 5 against the Boston Celtics and one betting website had the former NBA Champion at under 3.5 rebounds in the upcoming matchup.
Interestingly enough, Irving only put up 3 assists in their 123-109 victory over the Boston Celtics, going just below the over total.
If nothing else, that performance should serve as a notice that prop bets on Irving should probably lean on under when it comes to assists.
Keep in mind that the Celtics were the 7th best team in their conference, making their ongoing series against the Milwaukee Bucks more of a gut-check moment for this team.
Then again, Irving might be forced to take on more of the load after James Harden went down with a hamstring injury in game 1, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to be successful at it.
#3 CP3 blows oddsmakers expectations in game 6
Believe it or not, the oddsmakers’ predictions had Chris Paul at under 8.5 assists for game 5 against the Lakers, which was a mark Paul easily surpassed on the way to eliminating the defending NBA Champions.
In fact, Paul was able to connect for 12 assists during the game, meaning he is pretty reliable when it comes to moving the ball around.
The Suns will also be playing the injury-plagued Denver Nuggets, who could end up having trouble keeping up with Chris Paul and the Suns.
Not only is that evident by how Paul can get the ball to difference-makers like Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton, but also his average of 9 points per game in the postseason.
In the end, Paul can play clutch basketball and is someone that move the ball around in a way that others just fail to.
Ben Simmons barely scraps the over in game 5
Ben Simmons is one of those players that can do anything the situation calls for during a basketball game. Whether it’s putting up points to create a lead or helping move the ball around, he seems to thrive no matter what his prime objective is.
That’s what makes it difficult to really get a good sense of what to do with Simmons when it comes to prop bets.
For example, Simmons was projected by the oddsmakers to go under 9.5 rebounds during game 5 against the Washington Wizards but ended up hitting the over instead after coming away with a grand total of 10.
However, fast forward to game 1 against the Atlanta Hawks, and Simmons only managed to bring down 4 rebounds, making him a bit inconsistent against a more solid team.
Maybe it has to do with an uptick in competition, especially against a team like the Hawks, but fans should be wary about laying any money on him for a prop bet.
His numbers just aren’t consistent enough to really have confidence in any specific outcome. At least when the over/under number is 5 or above.
Trae Young shatters expectations on points prop bet in game one.
Trae Young is a big part of the Atlanta Hawks turnaround the last few seasons, and a lot of that has to do with how consistent of a scorer he is for his squad.
Of course, he is backed up by Bogdan Bogdanovic and John Collins, but Young’s 29.4 points per game during the postseason made him the main attraction. It also puts a huge target on his back when other teams try to isolate him during games, meaning he could get shut down if Phillidephia finds the right strategy.
With that being said, oddsmakers put him at 26.4 points for game 1 against the 76ers, which was easily topped when Young put up 35 points in their 128-124 victory.
While Young will likely need a recharge period before he can put up those kinds of numbers again, it’s pretty safe to say that he can hit the over on points in most situations. It’s just all a matter of how much rest he gets in between.
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