3 Best NBA Bets and Player Props for Knicks vs. Celtics in Game 5 of the Playoffs

The NBA playoffs are here, and even within a single game, betting markets are abundant.

You can bet traditional markets like the spread or the total, but we've also got tons of player-prop markets to sift through.

Which bets stand out today as the New York Knicks face the Boston Celtics in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Playoffs?

Let's dig into the best bets in FanDuel Sportsbook's NBA betting odds, utilizing FanDuel Research's NBA projections to try to find value.

Knicks at Celtics Game 5 Betting Picks

Derrick White Over 23.5 Pts + Ast (-114)

With Jayson Tatum suffering an unfortunate Achilles injury in Game 4, Derrick White is among the notable players on the Celtics who should see a bump in usage and production in Game 5. According to FantasyLabs' On/Off tool, White sees the second-biggest usage increase (+3.4%) and second-highest assist rate (25.2%) in Boston's lineup whenever Tatum isn't on the court.

White has also averaged 20.3 points and 6.2 assists per 36 minutes with Tatum not on the floor, which makes his points-plus-assists prop a bit enticing in a win-or-go-home scenario on Wednesday. Over the last three games in this series, White has tallied 25-plus points and assists twice, and those occurred with Tatum available for the Celtics.

The fact that Kristaps Porzingis has been unreliable through the first four games of this series should lead to even more opportunities for White to become the No. 2 option in the offense alongside Jaylen Brown. While it's tough to place much confidence in a Tatum-less Boston squad, I'm confident in White performing well at home in a playoff environment.

Mikal Bridges to Record 2+ Steals (+126)

Jaylen Brown boasts the highest usage rate (33.1%) on the Celtics with Tatum off the court, and we should expect him to handle the ball plenty in Wednesday's showdown versus the Knicks. During the regular season, there were five instances where Tatum was inactive and Brown logged 29-plus minutes, and Brown finished with three-plus turnovers in all five outings and four-plus turnovers in three of those five.

Even though we should expect a combination of OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges guarding Brown on Wednesday, Bridges has been the one racking up steals in this series. Aside from Brown turning the ball over four-plus times in two of the last three games versus the Knicks, Bridges has posted two-plus steals in all four meetings against the Celtics in the postseason.

Despite Boston registering the eighth-lowest turnover rate (14.4%) among playoff teams, I expect that percentage to slightly increase in the absence of Tatum. Additionally, the Knicks have the fourth-highest opponent turnover rate (16.0%) and fourth-most steals per game (8.2) in the postseason, largely due to the defensive efforts of Bridges.

Jalen Brunson Over 6.5 Assists (-118)

Jalen Brunson is certainly a player that tends to take his game to another level once the playoffs begin, and this postseason run for the Knicks hasn't been any different for the All-Star guard. While Brunson is typically known for his ability to score in a variety of ways, he's been dishing out assists left and right throughout the playoffs.

Across the first four games of the series versus the Celtics, Brunson is tallying 7.8 APG on 13.5 potential assists per game. Over his first 10 playoff games this postseason, Brunson has notched seven-plus assists in nine of them, including in three straight against Boston.

The Celtics are smart enough to try to get the ball out of Brunson's hands as much as possible to force the other players on the Knicks to beat them, which has led to more dimes from the dynamic guard. There's certainly a chance we see Brunson be more aggressive in the scoring department in a potential close-out game, but his efficient playmaking has been a large reason why New York is in prime position to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Get a 30% Profit Boost for a 3+ leg parlay or SGP on any NBA Playoff game taking place on May 14th! See here for full terms and conditions. Learn about today’s other offers at FanDuel Sportsbook Promos.

Looking for the latest NBA odds? Head over to FanDuel Sportsbook and check out all of the NBA betting options.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.