The NBA has six games on the scoreboard on Monday, with the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers meeting at 7:30 p.m. ET in Indianapolis for the Peacock-featured matchup. Let’s dive into the Eastern Conference showdown and take a quick look at a few fun player prop bets to consider on DraftKings Sportsbook.
The Celtics have been rolling lately, but are expected to be without Jaylen Brown (doubtful) as they look to bounce back from Saturday’s loss to the Spurs. They sit at 24-14 but have lost two of their last three. Meanwhile, the Pacers are coming off back-to-back wins against the Hornets and Heat that helped them improve to 8-31, albeit still the worst record in basketball.
The two teams played twice around Christmas time, with the Celtics winning both matchups, 103-95 and 140-122.
The Celtics are 5.5-point road favorites, while the Pacers are +170 underdogs. The game total is set at 226.5 points.
Let’s take a look at the third of four matchups between Boston and Indiana by finding a few player prop bets for Monday night’s contest.
Celtics vs. Pacers Best Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Derrick White Over 30.5 Points + Assists (-121)
With Jaylen Brown (doubtful) likely sidelined, it’ll be Derrick White and Payton Pritchard who should pick up most of the work in the Boston backcourt. White surpassed 30.5 combined points and assists — 29 points and three assists — in Saturday’s loss to San Antonio, even with Brown active.
White has gone over this prop line in three of his last seven games. He had 39 points-plus-assists and 22 points-plus-assists in the two games that Brown missed in December. He had 23 and 27 points-plus-assists in his previous matchups with Indiana.
Likely commanding more responsibility in Brown’s absence, White has a good chance of going over this prop line Monday against the Pacers — who have allowed the NBA’s fourth-most fantasy points to point guards this season. Pritchard and White have both had monster games without Brown in the past, but between the two, White’s odds and recent form make him a slightly stronger play in this contest.
Jay Huff Under 12.5 Points + Rebounds (-106)
Jay Huff has continued to start most games for the Pacers, though his minutes have remained fairly limited in most matchups. He has been held under 12.5 combined points and rebounds in six of his last eight contests, including each of the Pacers’ back-to-back victories.
In his previous two matchups with the Celtics, Huff tallied eight points-plus-rebounds in Boston, then just barely squeaked over the line with 13 points-plus-rebounds in Indiana.
The Pacers have had some success with smaller lineups lately and moved Huff to the bench on Saturday against the Heat. While it’s unclear whether this move will be permanent, his diminished role lately makes his under a strong target here — especially since the Celtics don’t rely on a post-up center as a key part of their offense.
Anfernee Simons Over 2.5 3PM (-130)
Anfernee Simons had drilled at least three triples in six straight games before going just 1-of-4 from deep on Saturday against the Spurs. He has at least four attempted threes in 19 straight games, averaging 2.6 3PM per game at a 39.8% clip over that span. In his last seven games, he’s making four threes per game at a blistering 54.9% efficiency.
He was held to just two treys in both December matchups with the Pacers, but he should see some extra volume with Brown sidelined.
Simons attempted six and eight three-pointers in the two games Brown missed last month. If he can stay hot with Brown likely out on Monday, he should be able to make at least three triples against the Pacers.
Bonus Parlay Pick: Johnny Furphy Over 7.5 points (-102)
The 21-year-old from Australia has been getting more work with Bennedict Mathurin (thumb) sidelined, and he has started six of Indiana’s last seven games. Furphy has scored at least seven points in seven of his last nine games, dating back to a nine-point performance against the Celtics in their last meeting.
He had 10 points in 20 minutes against the Heat on Saturday and is getting enough work to expect at least eight points on Monday as well, especially if he stays in the starting five.
If you’re looking to use these props to create a Same Game Parlay (SGP) or as part of an SPGx, adding in the over on Furphy’s points takes you to an even +1000, as you can see below.
