Best Heat player prop bets to consider for Wednesday’s Game 1 vs. Celtics

For the second straight year, the Boston Celtics will face the Miami Heat for a shot at reaching the NBA Finals. Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals tips off at 8:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 17 from the TD Garden. Both these teams split the regular-season series with two wins apiece.

With an opportunity to steal Game 1 on the road, the Heat will need a handful of big performances from key contributors. Let’s run through some of the best Heat player props to consider over at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Jimmy Butler over 27.5 points (-125)

Playoff Butler is a real thing as the Heat star has willed the East’s No. 8 seed into the Conference Finals. Throughout this postseason, Butler is the third-highest leading scorer (31.1 PPG) and I have no reason to doubt that trend continues Wednesday night.

Butler last eclipsed this total back in Game 3 versus the New York Knicks, but he’ll need to shoulder the scoring lead if Miami hopes to steal Game 1.

Bam Adebayo over 9.5 rebounds (+115)

Adebayo is averaging 9.2 rebounds per game this postseason and boasted two games against the Knicks with double-digit rebounds (12 and 13 in Games 3 and 4). Much like Butler needing to shoulder the scoring load, Adebayo needs to be tenacious on the glass if Miami hopes to steal the lone game they need on the road to tilt home-court advantage their way.

Max Strus over 2.5 threes made (-115)

With Tyler Herro sidelined and Butler needing some support from the larger roster, it’s been Strus that’s stepped into the role of marksman. Through the 2023 playoffs Strus is averaging 2.2 three-pointers made per game, and he’s averaging 5.9 attempts per game from beyond the arc.

Prior to his 1-for-6 three-point performance in Game 6, Strus strung together four straight games of more than two made threes per game, which is all the more reason to expect a bounce-back game Wednesday night.