3 Best Prop Bets for Celtics vs 76ers NBA Game 3 on May 5 (Can Embiid Overcome Knee Injury to Return to Form?)

Friday's slate of NBA postseason games includes a Game 3 between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers. FanDuel Sportsbook's latest NBA odds list the Celtics as the 1.5-point road favorite with the projected total set at 214.

Here are three of the best NBA player prop bets for the Celtics vs 76ers game, courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.

Celtics vs 76ers Player Props

1. Joel Embiid — Points: Under 24.5 (-102)

Despite being named the 2022-23 NBA MVP, Joel Embiid has looked anything but that in the postseason. Embiid is only averaging 18.8 PPG through four playoff outings and only scored 15 in Game 1 after missing two games due to a knee sprain. He'll now be playing in a brace, which will limit his mobility and ability to score. Considering how Embiid has finished with fewer than 24.5 points in four of his last five games, I don't see that trend changing — especially with his added knee accessory. With the Celtics also boasting one of the best defenses in the Association, backing the Under is the right call.

2. Al Horford — Threes Made: Under 1.5 (+102)

Al Horford excelled at stretching the floor in the regular season, averaging a career-high 2.3 threes per game on 44.6% shooting. Unfortunately, he hasn't been as efficient in the playoffs. Through eight postseason games, the former Florida Gator is averaging 1.4 threes with a 29.7% success rate. Making matters worse, he's finished with the Under on this prop four times in his last five games, shooting just 5-of-23 (21.7%) from beyond the arc in that span. With the 76ers owning a top-5 three-point defense in terms of both shooting percentage and makes, I don't see Horford's luck from downtown changing in Game 3.

3. James Harden — Assists: Under 7.5 (+112)

Although James Harden is one of the better playmakers in basketball, I don't see him finishing with more than 7.5 assists in Game 3. Even though he's averaging 7.5 APG in the playoffs, he's finished with seven or fewer helpers in four of his six appearances thus far. Harden has now finished with the Under on this prop in six of his last nine outings overall. While he's capable of piling up assists at the flick of a finger, that's less likely to happen due to his needing to take a bigger scoring role as long as Embiid keeps struggling. Taking into account that the Celtics allowed the second-fewest assists in the NBA during the regular season, keep expectations low for Harden's playmaking totals.

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.