NBA Playoffs Player Props for Friday, April 22

Stuart Durst Sports Betting Expert

2 minute read

Prop betting expert Stuart Durst gives his top prop bets to consider for NBA Playoffs action on Friday, April 22. Check out his top plays for the hardwood action below.

• Alex Caruso (CHI) Over 0.5 3PM/Nikola Vucevic (CHI) Over 1.5 3PM (-110) at  DraftKings
• Alex Caruso (CHI) Over 1.5 Steals/Over 1.5 3PM (+360) at DraftKings
• P.J. Tucker (MIA) Over 0.5 3PM/Over 3.5 Rebounds (-108) at FanDuel

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Alex Caruso (CHI) Over 0.5 3PM/Nikola Vucevic (CHI) Over 1.5 3PM

Alex Caruso spent a significant amount of time on the sidelines this season thanks to an injury caused by Grayson Allen. Despite that, Caruso looked back in form with  strong defensive showings that netted him over 33 minutes of playtime in both games. While he started slow from the field, going 1-5 from beyond the arc, he still appeared to get more comfortable as the game went on in Game 1. In Game 2, he started strong knocking down two 3’s in the first half, finishing 3-7. The Bucks defensive scheme relies on getting the ball out of Lavine/DeRozan's hands, and making guys like Caruso beat them from the perimeter. 

Speaking of players that are gonna benefit from the Bucks drop coverage, I like Vucevic three’s in this game. In Game 1, Lavine and Vucecivic both lead the game in attempts, both going 2-10 from beyond the arc. In Game 2 he continued to see high volume going 4-8 from 3. He hit this number in five games against the Bucks this year, with his one miss coming in a sixth attempt game. The Bucks are gonna dare guys like Vucevic and Caruso to take these outside shots, being top 10 in 3’s allowed to both C’s and SG’s. 

Alex Caruso (CHI) Over 1.5 Steals/Over 1.5 3PM

Alex Caruso has absolutely been one of my favorite guys to bet on so far this playoffs. He has two steals in both playoff games, with his defensive netting him 33 and 38 minutes. In both games, he's gotten great looks from beyond the arc, going 1-5 in Game 1 and 3-7 in Game 2. I believe this number is just flat out priced wrong. The Bucks will continue to let Caruso take good outside shots, they’d much rather get beat by Caruso than by Lavine. The Steals will be the tough part, but considering he’s 2/2, he will have plenty of opportunities to generate steals. 

P.J. Tucker (MIA) Over 0.5 3PM/Over 3.5 Rebounds

You can also add in 1+ Steal for +204 for good value. PJ Tucker is paid to go out there and do 3 things, shoot corner three’s, get  hustle rebounds, and play good defense. In his first two playoff games he went 1-2 and 4-4 from beyond the arc, and grabbed six and five rebounds. PJ’s minutes have been in the low twenties, but it looked like he was trending upwards if he hadn't run into foul trouble last game. PJ doesn't need a lot of time to take this work, he’s been one of the most consistent corner shooters in the league this year.

Stuart Durst

Stuart Durst, also known as @MonotoneFootbal on Twitter, is a writer and sports bettor specializing in the NFL, NBA and CFB. When he’s not writing for OddsChecker, he enjoys playing basketball and talking player props with his community. More from Stuart Durst