Historic rivals meet on Christmas when Joel Embiid and the 76ers play Jayson Tatum and the Celtics. While the defending champs have gotten out to a great start, the same can’t be said for the visitors; a combination of injuries and underperformance have led to a miserable 10-17 record. However, Philadelphia has begun to pick up some steam, winning seven of their last ten contests. Leading the way has been Tyrese Maxey; following a rough start to the season, the All-Star has averaged a team-leading 28.8 points over his last five games. Still, Boston enters the contest as 8.5-point favorites, with the over/under set at 221 points.
Ahead of this Eastern Conference clash, here’s the best Maxey prop to back tonight on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Best Tyrese Maxey Prop on DraftKings Sportsbook
As previously mentioned, it’s been a rocky start for Tyrese Maxey. This season, the reigning NBA Most Improved Player has put up 25.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists on lackluster 41.6% shooting from the field (33.7 3PT%). Now that Embiid and fellow All-Star Paul George are back in the lineup, the guard should have more open looks as a secondary option on offense.
Key to Maxey’s success is his long-range shooting. Since November 1st, the fifth-year pro has looked more like himself from deep, nailing a respectable 37.1% of his threes (8.9 attempts). Those numbers should continue to rise; with Embiid back and (appearing to be) healthy, defenses will have to give Philadelphia’s other two stars space from beyond the arc.
The Celtics possess one of the association’s elite perimeter defenses, holding opponents to the fourth-fewest three-pointers made per game (12.7) and the eighth-lowest three-point percentage (35.1%). However, the team has allowed 15.3 three-pointers over their last three outings, ninth-most in the NBA.
That’s a great sign for Maxey heading into this matchup, as he’s nailed an average of 4.6 three-pointers on 9.8 attempts (46.9%) over his last five appearances. A visit to Boston is no picnic, but Philadelphia’s budding star is riding his first hot streak of the season. Look for the 24-year-old to nail some big buckets from deep in this one.
Best Bet: Tyrese Maxey 4+ three-pointers made (+135)
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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook, lines and odds subject to change.
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