3 Best Prop Bets for 76ers vs Celtics NBA Playoffs Game 5 on May 9 (Joel Embiid Continues to Crash the Boards)

Tuesday's NBA Playoffs slate includes an exciting Game 5 showdown between the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics. The 76ers evened the series at 2-2 thanks to a thrilling 116-115 overtime victory in Game 3. James Harden guided the way with a solid 42 points, 9 assists, 8 rebounds and 4 steals.

Here are three of the best prop bets for 76ers-Celtics Game 5, courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.

76ers vs Celtics Game 5 Player Props

1. Joel Embiid - Rebounds: Over 11.5 (+100)

After missing Game 1 of this series with a knee injury, Embiid returned in Game 2 only to log 15 points and 3 rebounds in a blowout loss (27 minutes). That contest certainly helped him get his conditioning back, though, as he tallied at least 30 points and 13 rebounds in Game 3 as well as Game 4. Boston is an opponent Embiid knows well and has long found success against. In fact, the Philly center averages 12.0 rebounds across 22 career games against the Celtics. Keep in mind Boston allows more opponent rebounds during home games versus away games this year.

2. Tyrese Maxey - Points: Under 19.5 (-120)

There's no denying that players outside of Harden and Embiid have struggled to step up for Philly in this series. That includes Tyrese Maxey. Maxey balled out with 26 points in Game 1, but has been held to less than 15 points in each of the last three games. He is shooting a woeful 34.0% from the floor during that span (31.2% from three-point range). The Celtics are a nightmare matchup for Maxey considering they have the athleticism to match his speed and the length to contest his patented mid-range floater. Look for him to take on the role of a facilitator rather than a scorer in Game 5.

3. Marcus Smart - Made Threes: Over 1.5 (-148)

Marcus Smart is not known for his three-point shooting abilities, yet that hasn't stopped him from attempting a whopping 19 shots from beyond the arc in the last two games. He has made seven of those attempts, cashing this prop bet in both instances. The Oklahoma State product has now tallied at least a pair of three-point makes in seven of Boston's 10 postseason games. It helps that the 76ers rank seventh out of the eight teams left in contention when it comes to opponent three-point percentage in the playoffs (35.5%). Bettors unwilling to take on juiced odds could take a chance with backing Smart to drain 3+ three-pointers (+230).

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. 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.