Eastern Conference rivals are set to battle tonight at Madison Square Garden when the Knicks host the Celtics. In this pivotal NBA playoffs matchup, New York holds a 3-2 series lead. However, Boston dominated Game 5 en route to a 127-102 victory. Mikal Bridges has been crucial for the Knicks this postseason, proving to be a difference-maker on both ends of the floor. Can the forward come up big for his team once again on Friday?
The Knicks enter tonight’s contest as 2.5-point favorites, with the over/under set at 211.5 points. Here’s the best Mikal Bridges prop bet on DraftKings Sportsbook before Friday’s Game 6 tips off.
Mikal Bridges O 1.5 steals + blocks (-160)
This postseason, New York has been vindicated for last summer’s blockbuster Mikal Bridges trade. After giving up five first-round picks to the Nets, it was a shaky regular season with the Knicks. Through 82 games, Bridges averaged 17.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while shooting 50.0% from the field. Those numbers, while decent, weren’t at the level many fans were hoping for.
On offense, it’s been a mixed bag for New York’s newest star. In this series, he’s tallied just 66 total points over five contests (13.2 PPG). However, Bridges has often saved his best for last. The Villanova alum scored 12+ points in Games 2 and 4, both Knicks wins.
Granted, Bridges’ impact usually goes beyond the numbers; the two-way threat has established himself as an elite defender. That’s been on full display this postseason, especially against the Celtics. The 28-year-old has put up 2.6 steals and 0.8 blocks per game in this series, including an iconic rejection of Jayson Tatum to clinch Game 2.
At this point, predicting Bridges’ offensive output against a stingy Boston defense is almost impossible. However, he’s accounted for at least two steals + blocks in every game this series. During that stretch, head coach Tom Thibodeau has played the veteran for an average of 43.1 minutes. In addition, the Tatum-less Celtics will rely more on Jaylen Brown, a player with questionable (at best) handles.
The price on this line is high, and for good reason. Normally, that would be enough for me to stay away. However, it’s impossible to ignore how well Bridges is playing on defense right now.
