The NBA Playoffs conference semi-finals continue on Thursday with two important Game 5’s. Check out our best spread and player prop bets for both games right here and good luck to everyone following!
NBA Playoffs Betting Tips: Thursday, 17th of June
Atlanta Hawks at Philadelphia 76ers
Wells Fargo Center, 9:30am AEST
We head back to Philadelphia for Game 5 of this series with the teams locked at two wins apiece. In Game 4 in Atlanta it was the 76ers who had all the early running to open up 13-point lead at half time, but after the main break it was all Trae Young and the Hawks as they came from behind to secure a crucial win.
Neither team shot the ball at all well in Game 4, particularly the superstars from each team with Joel Embiid going a disgraceful 4-20 from the field for the 76ers and Trae Young hitting on just eight of his 26 attempts for the Hawks. Both Embiid and Young were still effective in other facets of the game, but it was Young’s 18 assists that proved to be the difference in the end.
Despite losing the series opener on their home deck, the 76ers will be relieved to be back in Philly for this all-important Game 5. They were the best home team in the Eastern Conference this season with a 29-7 record, whereas the Hawks had one of the worst road records among playoff teams in the conference at 16-20. With that said, it’s easy to understand why the 76ers are the clear favorites to take out Game 5 and we expect them to do just that in a very comfortable fashion.
We mentioned above the struggles of Joel Embiid in Game 4 with his 4-20 shooting for 17 points. The All-NBA second just had one of those nights where nothing seemed to fall offensively and he admittedly looked to be struggling a bit with his movement, but the good news for him is that he’s back home where he scored 40 and 39 points in the first two games of this series. You can currently get $3 for him to put up 35+ points at home again, which looks like a decent prop bet again as long as he’s healthy enough to suit up.
Prop: Embiid 35+ Points ($3)
Philadelphia 76ers -6.5
$1.90
Los Angeles Clippers at Utah Jazz
Vivint Smart Home Arena, 12pm AEST
This intriguing conference semi-final series has gone exactly the way it’s supposed to so far, with each team defending home court in all four games to bring us into Game 5 locked at 2-2. The Jazz had to grind their way back from deficits to win both of their home games to open the series, while the Clippers were comfortably winners in Games 3 and 4 despite being the lower seed.
After struggling on the road with their shot on the road, Paul George and Kawhi Leonard enjoyed some home cooking with fantastic games on their home deck to help tie the series. They combined for 65 and 62 points in Games 3 and 4 respectively, with both players shooting over 50% from the field. On the other hand, Jazz’s Donovan Mitchell averaged 41 points on over 50% shooting at home in the first two games, but those numbers dropped to 33.5ppg on less than 40% shooting on the road.
It’s no secret that playing at home is an advantage with fans back in the stadiums and that has never been truer than in this series where the home team is currently a perfect 4/4. The Jazz were the best home team in the regular season with an incredible record of 31-5 and have continued that in the playoffs where they are 4-1. With that in mind, coupled with the potential return of Mike Conley who’s listed as ‘questionable’, we have the Jazz coming out on top and covering the small spread.
It’s clear to see that Donovan Mitchell isn’t at 100% fitness at the moment, but he’s still taking a high volume of shots and is scoring the ball at decent enough rate. In fact, Mitchell has scored 30+ points in all four games this series and 37+ points in three of them. Even if he isn’t feeling the best at the moment, we still expect him to battle through the pain and put up another big scoring night to help his Jazz secure a crucial win.
Prop: Mitchell 35+ Points ($2)
