Wednesday Best Bets: One NBA Side, Two NBA Props

Do you want the good news or bad news first? Ok, here’s the bad news: Tuesday’s Best Bets went 1-2 on the night.

Now that’s out of the way, how about some good news: We have three Best Bets lined up for Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

That includes an NBA prop hand-picked by prop aficionado Matt LaMarca. These props are 34-21 on the season, so you’d be “smart” to keep an eye on it…wink, wink.

With that, let’s dive into Wednesday’s Best Bets!

All odds updated as of 2:30 p.m. ET on June 8.

Best Bets Track Record

Tuesday: 1-2
Year-To-Date: 107-99-2

Bostonian vs. The Book: 33-33-2
BetPrep Prop of the Day: 30-39
NBA Props: 34-21
NHL Props: 6-6
MLB Props: 4-2
MLB Sides: 1-0

NBA Side: Boston Celtics vs Golden State Warriors

The bet: Boston Celtics -3.5
The odds: -110
Where to bet: Caesars Sportsbook
From: Matt Perrault via The Bostonian Vs. The Book podcast

You’ll never believe this, but Matt Perrault — host of The Bostonian vs. The Book podcast — is backing another Boston team. This time it’s his beloved Celtics -3.5 against the Warriors in Game 3 of the NBA Finals. 

Before you dismiss this as a homer pick, consider Perrault’s analysis:

• The Celtics have won six straight games after coming off a loss (all in the playoffs).
• That’s no fluke, as Boston Head Coach Ime Udoka has made tremendous adjustments following losses in the postseason.
• Expect better defense from the Celtics, particularly in pick-and-roll situations with Stephen Curry.
• Boston could make this a gritty, lower-scoring game while feeding off the home crowd.

Perrault also mentioned that he likes Under 212.5 in this game, but his favorite bet is Boston against the spread.

The Celtics have responded after a loss all postseason. Do they have another one in them?

You can find Boston -3.5 at Caesars Sportsbook.

NBA Prop: G Marcus Smart (Boston Celtics)

The prop: Over 5.5 assists
The odds: +115
Where to bet: Draftkings Sportsbook
From: Matt LaMarca via NBA Props Wednesday

The odds on Smart’s assist prop are the inverse of Green, with the Over available at +115. That’s an appealing number for the Celtics point guard.

Smart averaged a career-best 5.9 assists per game during the regular season, and he’s been even better during the playoffs. He’s increased his output to 6.0 assists per game, even though he’s dealing with a recent injury.

Smart has played a minor role through the first two games of this series, but he is no longer listed on the injury report. He was playing closer to 40 minutes per game before getting injured, and it’s possible he returns to that level of playing time on Wednesday. He managed five assists in just 25.1 minutes in his last outing, so that would be an excellent development for his assist upside.

I’m happy to grab the Over at better than even money.

BetPrep Prop of the Day: G Jordan Poole (Golden State Warriors)

The bet: Over 2.5 assists
The odds: +104
Where to bet: FanDuel Sportsbook
From: BetPrep Prop of the Day via BetPrep.com

BetPrep looks to bounce back on the hardwood tonight, selecting Warriors’ guard Jordan Poole Over 2.5 assists. Here’s the rationale:

• Poole has recorded three-plus assists in 14-of-18 playoff games.
• Poole has recorded three-plus assists in 10 of his last 11 on the road.

Those are pretty good numbers, especially considering the plus-money odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. It’s worth mentioning that Poole is averaging 4.3 assists across those 18 playoff games, which is nearly two dimes higher than this prop.

On top of that, Poole is fresh off a three-assist performance in Game 2.