Best NBA Prop Bets Today (Predictions for Tyrese Maxey, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Black, More)

A massive four-game playoff slate takes place on Sunday, April 19, as the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in each conference open their first-round matchups against the squads that survived the play-in tournament:

Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics
Phoenix Suns vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
Orlando Magic vs. Detroit Pistons
Portland Trail Blazers vs. San Antonio Spurs

There weren’t any crazy upsets in the play-in, as each No. 7 and No. 8 seed advanced, though the Portland Trail Blazers jumped from No. 8 to No. 7 with a win over Phoenix in the first Western Conference play-in matchup.

On Sunday, I’m eyeing several props bets for this slate, including two in the Boston-Philadelphia matchup with Tyrese Maxey and Jayson Tatum both poised for big games since Joel Embiid (appendectomy) is out.

On top of that, MVP favorite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander could be worth a look against a Suns team that he has scored 90 points against in three appearances this season.

Let’s take a look at each of the prop plays for Sunday’s playoff action!

Best NBA Prop Bets for Sunday, April 19

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Tyrese Maxey OVER 26.5 Points (-108)

During the regular season, Maxey averaged 28.3 points per game, and he finished the campaign averaging over 28 per game when Embiid was out of the lineup. That continued in the play-in tournament, as the star guard dropped 31 points on 25 shots to lead the 76ers to a win over the Orlando Magic.

Maxey is going to have a major role on offense in this game, and he's scored 40, 26, 21 and 33 points in his four meetings with the Celtics in the 2025-26 campaign. Boston is one of the better defensive teams in the NBA (fourth in defensive rating in the regular season), but Maxey is one of the few matchup-proof players in the league because of his high shot volume.

During the regular season, Maxey took a career-high 21.4 shots per game, and he's taken at least 20 shots per game in three straight seasons.

I'm buying him to lead the Philly offense as long as Embiid remains sidelined.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 30+ Points (-143)

During the regular season, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 31.1 points per game, shooting an insane 55.3 percent from the field and 38.6 percent from deep. The star guard is on track to win a second MVP award in a row, and he’s a great scoring prop target on Sunday.

SGA dropped 25 or more points in each of his matchups with the Suns this season, including a 37-point game in their first meeting. He also had 28 points in a blowout win during the NBA Cup where he did not play down the stretch since the Thunder had already locked up the win.

I do expect a longer leash for the star guard on Sunday, especially since the Suns played the Thunder tight in one of the few games that Devin Booker suited up in, winning 108-105 back on Jan. 4.

SGA has averaged 30.2 and 29.9 points per game in his last two playoff runs, taking 22.4 and 21.9 shots per game. With that usage – and his ability to get to the free-throw line – the reigning Finals MVP is a solid prop target even against a top-10 defense.

Anthony Black OVER 9.5 Points (-130)

Since returning from an abdominal strain, guard Anthony Black has played limited minutes for the Magic compared to his role during the regular season. Still, the former lottery pick played 22 or more minutes in each play-in game, clearing this prop once.

He shot just 2-for-10 from the field in the win over Charlotte, but Black played 27 minutes and remained an important part of the team’s offense in that game.

I think this line is set a little too low for the young guard, who averaged 15.0 points on 12.1 shots per game in the regular season. If Black comes near double-digit shot attempts on Sunday, he’s at least worth a look in this market against the Pistons.

Jayson Tatum 9+ Rebounds (-155)

Earlier today, I shared in my NBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points – why Tatum is my favorite prop target on Sunday:

Jayson Tatum was awesome on the glass after returning to the lineup, averaging 10.0 rebounds per game in 16 games. He had at least nine boards in 11 of those matchups, including 10 games with at least 10 boards.

Now, he takes on a Philly team that was 21st in rebound percentage and 22nd in the league in opponent rebounds per game in the regular season. With Embiid out, the 76ers aren’t nearly as dangerous down low, and Tatum has shown before that he is Boston’s best rebounder in the playoffs.

Over his last three playoff runs, Tatum has averaged 11.5, 9.7 and 10.5 rebounds per game. He’s an absolute steal at this number, especially if Joe Mazzulla opts to go small with Tatum as the de facto center in those lineups.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

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