It’s officially do-or-die time for the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Finals after the Milwaukee Bucks squeaked out a narrow victory in Game 5 on the road. The Suns were up 2-0 to begin the series, but the Bucks have strung together three straight wins to put themselves in the driver’s seat in the series. For the first time in the NBA Finals versus Phoenix, Milwaukee’s dynamic trio of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday contributed 20+ points in Game 5. Ahead of what should be a competitive showdown at Fiserv Forum on Tuesday night for Game 6, I like a few bets for my Same Game Parlay on FanDuel Sportsbook.
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.
Check out our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet for the top bets of the day >>
Chris Paul Over 21.5 points (-108)
Over the past two games for the Suns, Devin Booker has been the primary scorer, notching 40+ points in both contests. Despite Booker’s stellar performances, Phoenix hasn’t gotten consistent scoring from their other marquee players. Chris Paul has gotten the most heat from fans in recent games, so I expect the veteran point guard to come out swinging in a pivotal Game 6 on the road. Paul had his way to begin the series, totaling 55 points, 17 assists, and seven three-pointers made in the first two games at home. Throughout the first two games, Paul attempted 19+ shots in both of them. However, in the three games since, Paul hasn’t taken more than 15 shots in a game, and he’s totaled only 50 points in that same time span. Even though recent history has shown that we shouldn’t have confidence in Paul to reach his point total of 21.5, I’m putting confidence in him to give Booker some much-needed help in the scoring department. The 11-time All-Star has scored 22+ points in five out of his last 10 games, including two games in the NBA Finals.
Devin Booker 4+ assists (-186)
When the Suns secured a two-game lead to begin the NBA Finals, they used Booker in more of a balanced role on offense. While Booker averaged 29 points in the first two games against the Bucks, he also dished out six assists in each outing. But since the first two games, Booker has failed to register more than three assists in a game. Yes, Booker has scored 40+ points in back-to-back games, and he’s been remarkable for Phoenix. That being said, Booker can’t shoulder the entire offensive scoring output if the Suns want a chance to force a Game 7. In light of that, I believe Monty Williams will utilize Booker more often in a facilitating role than we’ve seen in the past three matchups. Booker is averaging 8.4 potential assists per game through the first five games, so we just need him to convert on half of those for him to reach four assists on Tuesday night.
Jrue Holiday Over 8.5 assists (+116)
On the other side of the court, Holiday seemingly found his groove as a scorer in Game 5, making 12 of his 20 shot attempts, including three of his six three-point shots. Besides compiling his personal high of 27 points in the NBA Finals, Holiday posted 13 assists for the Bucks in the last game. The two-way guard out of UCLA has been extremely active in Milwaukee’s offense, with him logging 14.4 potential assists per game against Phoenix thus far. At the same time, Holiday has taken care of the ball, failing to record more than three turnovers in any of the games in the series. With the Bucks in firm control, I expect them to continue leaning on Holiday to orchestrate the offense as the primary ball-handler. Given that, I’ll definitely take plus-odds on Holiday’s assist prop at over 8.5 assists, a number he’s reached in seven of his last 10 playoff games. Furthermore, Holiday has accrued 9+ assists in three of the five games in the NBA Finals.
Pat Connaughton Over 1.5 threes made (-148)
One player that has had his contributions overlooked in the NBA Finals is Pat Connaughton. Whenever Donte DiVincenzo went down with a season-ending injury in the postseason, Connaughton began seeing more minutes. And when the Bucks elected to go with smaller lineups versus the Suns, Connaughton has served as a floor-spacing wing player. Connaughton has done well with an expanded role, scoring 8+ points in each game of the NBA Finals while playing over 30 minutes in all but one game so far. Where Connaughton has scored the majority of his points is from outside the three-point line. The versatile wing player out of Notre Dame has made more than two three-pointers in six consecutive games and seven of his last 10 playoff appearances. With Milwaukee looking to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy at home, look for the Bucks to keep Connaughton involved in the offense from deep.
Final Parlay Odds: +871
NBA Prop Bets
- Bobby Portis Jr. Prop Bet Odds
- Devin Booker Prop Bet Odds
- Chris Paul Prop Bet Odds
- Jrue Holiday Prop Bet Odds
- P.J. Tucker Prop Bet Odds
Check out our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet for the top bets of the day >>
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