We have three NBA props for this Monday, and our staff of basketball betting experts is focused on a trio of key players who could be in line for noteworthy performances in Game 1 between the Nuggets and Thunder tonight.
Continue below for my NBA player props for Monday, May 5.
NBA Player Props for Monday, May 5
- Michael Porter Jr. Over 18.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-115 at BetMGM)
- Christian Braun Over 12.5 Points (+102 at FanDuel)
- Jamal Murray Under 4.5 Rebounds (-125 at FanDuel)
Michael Porter Jr. Over 18.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists
Nuggets vs Thunder, 9:30 p.m. ET
Michael Porter Jr. had a somewhat quiet first round for the Nuggets. He averaged the fewest points (10.9) of any player in their starting five.
His best performance was in Game 4 when he recorded 17 points, four rebounds and two assists while shooting 54.5% (6-of-11) from the floor and 57.1% (4-of-7) from the perimeter.
In Game 7, he finished with 15 points and six rebounds but didn't record an assist.
With the Nuggets opening up the Western Conference Semifinals against the Thunder, Porter has a points + rebounds + assists prop of 18.5. And while he hasn't particularly been at his best in recent games, he's had quite the run of form when facing OKC.
In his last eight games against the Thunder, Porter successfully covered this prop line of 18.5, averaging 28.6 PRA with a median of 28.
NBA players are incredibly knowledgeable when it comes to poring over their stats, and with Porter struggling to be at the top of his game, a quick glance at his numbers against the Thunder could be just what he needs to get back on track.
Pick: Michael Porter Jr. Over 18.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-115 at BetMGM)
Christian Braun Over 12.5 Points
Nuggets vs Thunder, 9:30 p.m. ET
Nuggets' player props feel a bit more predictable, given what we can expect from how they'll manage their rotations.
Denver's bench averages the second-fewest minutes (10.1) in the playoffs, a trend we saw during the regular season when it ranked 28th (14.7 minutes) in the same category.
Denver's inability to add some depth at the trade deadline left the team extremely shorthanded with a roster that's not very deep. However, the good news is they still managed to split the regular season series (2-2) against a Thunder team that only lost 14 games during the campaign.
They got a few days to rest after defeating the Clippers on Saturday night, while the Thunder hasn't played a game in two weeks. The Nuggets need to get the best out of their starters to have any chance in this series.
Denver's Christian Braun logged the third-most minutes of any starter in the first round, averaging 39.4 per game. Given his size at 6-foot-6 and his ability to play multiple positions, he is key. At 24, he's also the Nuggets' youngest starter.
Braun should have the minutes to go deep in this game, making his points prop of 12.5 worthy of consideration.
It's worth noting that there wasn't much of a difference in his home-away splits, considering he averaged roughly one less point on the road (15.0 vs. 15.9).
Moreover, he covered the prop line of 12.5 in 15 of his previous 19 road games and six of eight head-to-head meetings against the Thunder. We're also getting favorable odds of +102 for this prop, which makes it even more enticing.
Pick: Christian Braun Over 12.5 Points (+102 at FanDuel)
Jamal Murray Under 4.5 Rebounds
Nuggets vs Thunder, 9:30 p.m. ET
We'll stick with the Nuggets for our final player prop, as I'll look to fade Jamal Murray's recent stretch of five or more rebounds in four straight games.
Murray's rebounding prop is set at 4.5, but he only averaged 3.9 per game during the regular season. Moreover, against the Thunder, he's averaging 4.1 rebounds over 27 games. In six of his last seven meetings, he covered 4.5 rebounds just once.
OKC has tremendous length with two 7-footers, Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein, in the starting lineup.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is also a threat on the glass, while the Nuggets have Nikola Jokic, who is no stranger to grabbing 20 boards by himself.
This matchup simply doesn't suit Murray, and I could only look to play him under his prop in this spot.
Pick: Jamal Murray Under 4.5 Rebounds (-125 at FanDuel)
