After winning the first two games of this series at home, the Boston Celtics have a chance to take a commanding 3-0 lead with a Game 3 victory in Indiana. The Celtics are 7.5-point road favorites with the game total at 222.5 points. Expect another barn-burner tonight with how fast the Pacers want to play.
Read below for my top two NBA player props for Saturday, May 25 — featuring prop bets for Al Horford and Pascal Siakam.
NBA Player Props: Celtics vs Pacers Game 3 (Saturday, May 25)
| Time (ET) | Player Prop |
|---|---|
| 8:30 p.m. | |
| 8:30 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NBA Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | |
The Boston Celtics escaped Game 1 with a come from behind overtime victory and then dismantled the Pacers in Game 2. They are still playing without Kristaps Porzingis tonight, but he could return for Game 4. With Porzingis still out of the lineup, that will secure the volume of playing time and production for Celtics' veteran center Al Horford.
Through the first two games, Horford is averaging a near double-double with 10.5 points and eight rebounds per game. He has not shot the ball very well, but our focus for this player prop is Horford on the glass. In his 19 games played this season without Porzingis, Horford is averaging exactly seven rebounds per game, which is nearly one full rebound more per game than playing alongside Porzingis. There are so many rebound opportunities in this matchup.
During the regular season, the Pacers ranked 24th in rebounding percentage at 49.2%. They have improved that total in the postseason to 49.6%, but given their up-tempo style of play, the Pacers are prone to giving up a plethora of rebounds. The Pacers ranked second in pace and led the league with 92.7 field goal attempts per game this season.
Our player prop model has Horford projected to pull down 8.4 rebounds per game, which makes him one of the best value props on the board. Getting plus-money on this rebounds prop feels like a steal after Horford had 10 rebounds in Game 2 in only 25 minutes of play. The Pacers frontcourt lacks size and strength, which makes this a fantastic matchup for the veteran center. Lay the juice on Horford over 7.5 rebounds tonight in Game 3.
Pick: Al Horford Over 7.5 Rebounds (+102 | FanDuel)
The biggest news for Game 3 is the status of Tyrese Haliburton. He left Game 2 with a hamstring injury and is listed questionable for tonight's game. This game could get out of hand if Haliburton is unable to play. Even if Haliburton plays, the Pacers will need a big game from Pascal Siakam who has been exceptional through the first two games.
Siakam is averaging 26 points and 8.5 rebounds per game while shooting an absurd 62.5% from the field and 50% from behind the arc in this series. Even if you need a larger sample size, Siakam is averaging 21.7 points and shooting 55.1% from the field. He is getting to his spots and taking advantage of the Celtics defense. Since joining the Pacers, Siakam has led the team in points and rebounds, and he's doing the same in the postseason.
If the Pacers want any chance to get back into this series, it will need to come from Siakam with Haliburton hobbled. They are 6-0 at home during the postseason, winning by an average of 14.7 points per game. The Pacers are scoring 119.2 points per game and seem to love playing at home. They will go down swinging and put up a fight tonight.
Siakam posted a 30.6% usage rate in the first two games and that number would rise if Haliburton is unable to play or limited. Expect him to play as many minutes as he can handle in this pivotal Game 3. Our model isn't fully updated for Haliburton, but Siakam is still projected to score 21.8 points in this matchup. With their backs against the wall, take Siakam to rise to the occasion and have another great scoring performance.
Pick: Pascal Siakam Over 22.5 Points (-122 | DraftKings)
