NBA Playoffs: Best Bets and Odds for 76ers vs. Celtics and Suns vs. Nuggets
Two playoff series that are tied 2–2 have potentially pivotal Game 5s taking place Tuesday night.
The 76ers are back at TD Garden to battle the Celtics after they eked out an overtime win in Game 4. And out West, the Nuggets return to the Mile High City after they dropped both road games to the Suns.
Below are a few key betting trends and a pick involving each team in this postseason doubleheader. Philadelphia-Boston begins at 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT and Phoenix-Denver is next at 10.
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics Game 5 Predictions
Eric Hartline/USA Today Sports
James Harden Racks Up Boards, Dimes: Bet Harden Over 14.5 Rebounds + Assists
Harden has two 40-point showings against the Celtics and two games with fewer than 20. What has been somewhat more consistent so far in the series are his other primary counting stats: points and rebounds. Harden, who has double-doubled twice against Boston and four times across eight playoff games, averages 5.9 rebounds and 8.1 assists per game in the postseason and 6.3 boards and 7.5 dimes for the series. His combined points and rebounds prop for Game 5 is set at 14.5, a total he’s eclipsed in each of his last two games (he had exactly 14 rebounds and assists in Game 2).
Celtics Score with Ease: Bet Boston Over 110.5 Points
The Celtics remain the highest-scoring team in the playoffs with a lofty average of 119.2 points per game, more than two full points higher than the next closest team that’s still alive (Suns: 117.1). This series with the 76ers has seen some lower point totals than their first-round matchup with the Hawks, but the fewest points Boston has scored all postseason has been 112. The over has hit in seven of the last eight games for the C’s and though they average more points on the road (121.6) than at TD Garden (116.8), they’ve had no issue putting up points in bunches throughout the playoffs.
Phoenix Suns vs. Denver Nuggets Game 5 Predictions
Nuggets Continue to Cover at Home: Bet Denver -5.5
The Suns beat the Nuggets back-to-back in the desert to even up the series as it shifts back to Colorado. And now the West’s No. 1 seed is back at Ball Arena, where it went 34–7 straight up in the regular season and is 5–0 so far this postseason. Those records, good as they are, don’t tell the full story of Denver’s dominance at home. The Nuggets went 25–15–1 against the spread and have a 4–1 ATS mark in the playoffs. They covered spreads of four and 4.5 points against Phoenix easily earlier in the series, winning both games by double digits. Some of Nikola Jokić’s best games have come on the road, including his 53-point performance in Game 4, but his team is a tough out at home.
Devin Booker Stays Hot: Bet Booker Over 32.5 Points
Booker took his scoring to another level in the playoffs. His 36.8 points per game average comes on 62/51/87 splits. The fewest points he’s scored on this run was 26 in Game 1 against the Clippers. The most? Booker went for 47 twice — in Game 5 of the Los Angeles series and in Game 3 against Denver. Not only is he smashing his 27.8 points per game season average, he’s hit the over on his scoring prop in six of nine playoff games. Booker’s Game 5 over/under is set at 32.5, his highest so far in the postseason. But considering his shooting efficiency and the frequency with which he’s hit at least the 33-point mark, he could be in for another over.
NBA Playoffs Betting Record: 11–9
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