We have Game 1 of the second round between the Celtics and Sixers are Monday night with questions swirling around the Sixers’ MVP candidate Joel Embiid availability as he recovers from an LCL sprain.
You can check out the full betting preview for Sixers vs. Celtics here, but this is going to focus on three prop bets for Game 1, including how to bet on Jayson Tatum, Al Horford and Sixers’ Tobias Harris.
Best prop bets for Sixers vs. Celtics Game 1
- Jayson Tatum OVER 4.5 Assists (-102)
- Al Horford UNDER 8.5 Points (-128)
- Tobias Harris OVER 16.5 Points (-125)
Jayson Tatum OVER 4.5 Assists
Tatum had over eight potential assists in the six games against Atlanta and with a cheap price to play this I’ll go over given his typical playoff usage as a facilitator. Dating back to last postseason, when the Celtics emerged as the championship contender they are, Tatum cleared this number in 70% of playoff games.
Al Horford UNDER 8.5 Points
Horford struggled to score in the first round against Atlanta, going under this number in all but one game (he scored 10 in Game 6). Ultimately, Horford isn’t a major facet on offense, he averages less than eight shots per game this year , and I expect the Celtics to target the likes of James Harden and Tyrese Maxey on the perimeter and Horford struggles to get a ton of usage on offense.
Part of me also believes that if Embiid sits, this can be a blowout quickly, and the Celtics would opt to sit its veteran big to stay fresh for Game 2 and beyond.
Tobias Harris OVER 16.5 Points
In Game 4 of the first round with Embiid out, Harris emerged as a serious scoring threat. He took five more shots than any other one in the series and scored 25 points. While the Celtics have a formidable defense, Harris’ is set to soar over this number if Embiid sits. He averaged over 19 points per game when Embiid is out this season, up from below 14 points per game.
If Embiid is ruled in, of course some of Harris’ potential volume goes down, but I’ll take a chance on a potentially hobbled Embiid deferring to the wing in Game 1.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.