The NBA playoffs are always wild, wacky and filled with knife-cuttable drama. With players putting everything on the line in an attempt to bask in championship glory, the pressure-packed games are tremendously fun to wager on. As a result, the sportsbooks offer many creative ways to enhance the action. What are Brad’s favorite prop plays in Lakers vs. Nuggets on Monday? Check out his juicy SGP below.
The pick — SGP: Nuggets ML vs. Lakers, Nikola Jokic 10+ rebounds, LeBron James UNDER 8.5 rebounds (+105, BetMGM)
BetMGM offers:
For gamers who get drunk with optimism on every added SGP leg, it pays to shop around.
Many sportsbooks lean into the common belief that chasing the OVER under any circumstance is always the way to go. BetMGM, however, is one of the few outlets that offers alt lines on cooler markets. If you’re a shrewd gambler who occasionally drinks from a glass half empty, they're welcomed angles. After all, the goal with every same gamer is stringing together a sensible plus-money bet.
The one sketched above checks that box.
The Nuggets packed away the brooms after losing Game 4 in Los Angeles. With the series returning to Denver on Monday, a gentlemen’s sweep seems like a foregone conclusion.
Point blank: The Nuggets have dominated the Lakers the last two seasons. Before falling 119-108 on Sunday, they had won 11 consecutive meetings against the Western Conference “rival.” Even with Jamal Murray questionable (calf), they should again slam the door.
Specific to Jokic, he’s waxed the glass uninhibitedly in the series, netting 15.3 rebounds per game. In fact, he’s snagged at least 10 boards in eight straight games against the Lakers. In the playoffs, L.A. is the third-worst team in opponent rebounds, surrendering 46.3 per game. Jokic eclipsing the required number feels like a layup.
As for the still-spry LeBron, the 39-years-young legend has averaged 6.3 rebounds in the series, hitting the under on 8.5 boards in all four games. If you stretch out his on-the-glass efforts against Denver across the entire season, he’s fallen short of nine rebounds in six of seven clashes. Unless the Nuggets are teeth-chattering offensively, the chances of James flirting with double digits in the category are slim.
Let’s raise a glass to a winner, hopefully.
NBA postseason record: 5-10, -4.55 units (We’re on a six-pick L streak. It's rough out here.)
BONUS TIME — New Orleans UNDER 100.5 team total points vs. Thunder (+100, BetMGM)