We are already nearing the end of the NBA Playoffs, as we’re into Game 5 of the NBA Finals. The Boston Celtics are up 3-1 on the Dallas Mavericks, as Luka Doncic and Co. were able to fight off a sweep with a blowout win in Game 4. Make sure you check out what Jonathan Von Tobel is doing for the rest of the series. He’s still providing his exceptional game-by-game deep dives, while also jumping on any trending topics in the NBA. However, all of my picks will be featured in this daily column, which will combine my NBA best bets and NBA player props. So, keep reading to find out how I’m playing Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday, June 17th. Also, check out our NBA Finals Betting Hub for all of our series content.
MORE: Check out our Pro Picks page for everything our experts have on June 17
NBA Best Bets Today – June 17
Dallas Mavericks at Boston Celtics (Game 5) – 8:30 pm ET
I have had a bad read on this series from the jump. That didn’t get any better in Game 4, as I took Boston to close out the series. The Mavericks absolutely blasted the Celtics in that one, turning in a tremendous two-way effort. Luka Doncic was at the forefront of that. Despite going 0 for 8 from 3-point range, Doncic had 29 points, five rebounds and five assists in the 38-point win. And the forward played his best defensive game of the series, by far.
While it was nice to see some fight from the Mavericks, I still don’t see this series changing very much. Dallas defended like hell in Game 4, but will the team be able to do it again? The Mavericks had a blow-by rate of just 37.0% in Game 4, but that number was up at 53.0% or higher in the first three games in this series. And if it’s back in that ball park in Game 5, the Celtics are going to end this series rather easily. Boston hasn’t been hitting triples at its usual clip in this series, but the Celtics will capitalize if they’re constantly creating good looks off penetration. We also won’t see Dallas’ role players stepping up the way they did in Game 4. For the most part, those guys have struggled in Boston in this series.
All in all, I just think the Mavericks played with real desperation and were able to fight off an embarrassing four-game sweep. But with this series heading back to Boston, the Celtics should be able to match their energy. So, I’m expecting them to lock in defensively and start knocking down some shots. And Boston has won all three of its games in this series by at least seven points.
Bet: Celtics -6.5 (-112 – 2 units)
NBA Player Props Today – June 17
Dallas Mavericks at Boston Celtics (Game 5) – 8:30 pm ET
In a big game like this one, you can generally count on guys to do more dirty work than usual. The adrenaline will be there for all of these players, and that’s why I looked to some rebound totals. Well, one of them that stood out was Derrick White to grab five boards at plus-money odds. White is a very good rebounder for a guard and has already had two games with five rebounds in this series. On top of that, White is averaging 8.8 rebound chances per game in this series. That’s a pretty high number and he’s one of the players that I expect to get aggressive on the glass. With that in mind, I’m taking White to go Over this mark and I’m not thinking twice about it. I also like that White struggled with his jumper in Game 4, as he’ll come out looking to make up for that.
Bet: White Over 4.5 Rebounds (+125 – 1.5 units)
2023-24 Record: 385-427-3 (-3.86 units)
