NBA Playoffs Props Tonight: Player Props to Target for Celtics vs. Heat Game 5 (5/25)
NBA Playoffs Props Tonight: Player Props to Target for Celtics vs. Heat Game 5 (5/25)
The Boston Celtics are 8-point favorites tonight as they look to extend the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals as much as possible.
The Miami Heat are looking to clinch a spot in the Finals tonight and will be without Gabe Vincent in Game 5, and that opens up some betting value for us tonight.
Let's jump into today's picks!
NBA Props Tonight - Tuesday, May 23
Kyle Lowry Over 4.5 Assists -150 is currently the best odds. Click here to see which sportsbooks have the best odds
Kyle Lowry has served a crucial role for the Miami Heat as a primary playmaker alongside Jimmy Butler this postseason. And tonight, Lowry figures to see a significant boost in playing time.
Gabe Vincent has been shooting the lights out since taking over Miami's starting point guard role. But he'll be inactive tonight due to an ankle injury he suffered late in Game 4. That means 30-plus minutes will be vacated from the Heat lineup in this one, and Lowry should absorb both more minutes and more ball-handling duties.
I have the 37-year-old guard penciled in for 34 to 36 minutes of action this evening. Luckily for us, he's notched five-plus assists in all five games seeing at least 30 minutes this postseason. He's also averaging 5.7 assists per 32 minutes in these playoffs, and that bench-mark serves as a low-ball estimation of his increased role in Game 5. Also worth noting: Lowry has posted 5.5 AST per 32 minutes against the Celts this season, so big minutes should result in big assist numbers for him.
Lowry has cashed this over in 13 of his last 20 games, seeing 30-plus minutes. Over the last two seasons, the Villanova product has seen his assist rate rise from 26.8 AST% with Vincent healthy to 31.2 AST% without him. Miami shot just 8-for-32 from three-point range last game, and some positive regression should help Lowry reach the five-assist mark tonight.