NBA Finals Player Prop Bets, Picks & Predictions: Thursday (Heat vs. Nuggets)
Tonight starts game one of the NBA championship. Only a few people expected the Miami Heat (an 8-seed) to be playing the Denver Nuggets. Both of these teams could win this series. That means it is perfect for bettors to use to their advantage. Tonight I will focus on the best player prop bets. Player prop betting is simple, pick a stat or combination of stats. Rebounds, points, and assists, then bet the player to achieve over or under that stat.
Let us look at the top player prop bets tonight.
Thursday’s Best NBA Finals Game 1 Player Prop Bets
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
Denver Nuggets vs. Miami Heat
The Miami Heat have had a tough road to the championship game. They lost to the Atlanta Hawks for the 7th seed and then beat the Chicago Bulls to earn the 8th seed. Then they had to win against the Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, and Boston Celtics. That has led them to tonight. They are playing the Denver Nuggets. Denver is the top seed in the Western Conference.
Jimmy Butler Over 25 Points (-250)
The biggest reason the Miami Heat has been able to overcome and accomplish all of this during the playoffs is because of their star player, Jimmy Butler. During the playoffs, Butler is averaging 28.5 points per game. That is an improvement from during the regular season, but it shows how hard Butler is playing to win the title. Tonight Butler will continue his dominance when he tries to win an NBA championship.
Nikola Jokic Over 40.5 Points and Rebounds (-105)
Nikola Jokic has been among the most dominant players in the NBA over the last three years. He can do some of everything, pass, rebound, and score. That is why I like combining these stats to get more betting value. Jokic is averaging 29.9 points and 13.3 rebounds during the playoffs. That means Jokic is consistently getting over 40.5. That gives bettors more opportunity for Jokic to get these stats.
Jamal Murray Over 3.5 Three Points (+125)
This bet is one of the riskier bets of the day. Murray has had big games during the playoffs. That includes several games that he has shot and made 4+ three-point shots. I think that bettors will continue to see Murray contribute to the Nuggets. That includes shooting from beyond the three-point arc. This play is high risk and high reward.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RadioPublic | Breaker | Castbox | Pocket Casts
Cameron Lynch is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Cameron, check out his archive and follow him @captron26.
AI was used to assist with this article.