The Pacers are hosting the Bucks for Game 5 of their first round series Tuesday. Leading this series 3-1, Indiana has a chance to advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals with a win. On DraftKings Sportsbook, the Pacers are an eight-point favorite for Game 5 and this contest carries a total of 222.5 points.
Below, I dive into three of my favorite player prop bets for Tuesday’s Game 5 between the Pacers and Bucks on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Best Pacers vs. Bucks Player Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Kevin Porter Jr. O 26.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-120)
After Damian Lillard went down with the torn Achilles six minutes into Game 4, Porter Jr. took over as the Bucks’ primary ball handler and finished with 23 points, six assists and five rebounds across 33 minutes. Porter Jr. started the second half in place of Lillard and Porter Jr. should start in Game 5 with Lillard done for the season. Trailing 1-3 in this best of seven, this is do-or-die for Milwaukee, and they desperately need Porter Jr.’s offense with Lillard sidelined.
Porter Jr. should command huge rates and see 35–40 minutes with the Bucks’ season on the line. With Lillard off the floor this season, Porter Jr. is handling a 25.6% usage rate and a 30.8% assist percentage. This is a star like role for the guard, and Porter Jr. should cruise past 26.5 PRA tonight. If including Game 4, Porter Jr. is averaging 31.6 PRA per game for the last seven times Lillard has been out.
Kyle Kuzma U 13.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-110)
Kuzma has become unplayable in this series with the Pacers. The ex-Wizard is averaging a pathetic 6.0 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game, and he has only gone over 13.5 PRA once in the four games of this best of seven. Kuzma ranks dead last in plus/minus for the Bucks, and he has seen less playing time in three straight games, bottoming out at 16 minutes in Game 4. Ranking third for Milwaukee in plus/minus, AJ Green has been far more effective than Kuzma and for the third game in a row, Green should see more playing time than Kuzma, despite coming off the bench.
The Pacers being an elite team at defending the three point line makes this is a terrible matchup for Kuzma and with everything at stake tonight, Bucks’ HC Doc Rivers would be foolish to give Kuzma ample playing time. The forward should see less than 20 minutes of work, and Kuzma is an excellent bet to fall short of 13.5 PRA.
Andrew Nembhard O 11.5 Points (-120)
Nembhard has had a terrific series vs. the Bucks. On top of providing some great defense, the guard has been strong as a scorer, averaging 15 PPG while shooting 53% from the field. Nembhard has exceeded 11.5 points in three of these four games, and he is leading the Pacers in plus/minus during this series vs. Milwaukee. Role wise, Nembhard ranks third for Indiana with 31 minutes per game, and he is handling an 18.2% usage rate.
As we saw last year, when Nembhard averaged 14.9 PPG during the Pacers’ run to the Eastern Conference Finals, the veteran knows how to step his game up in the playoffs, and he should clear 11.5 points tonight with the Pacers looking to advance on their home floor. In close out situations during last year’s playoffs, Nembhard was awesome with 17.5 PPG (four games).
