The Boston Celtics will host the Brooklyn Nets at TD Garden on Wednesday night. With Kevin Durant still sidelined, it’ll be the Kyrie Irving show again for the Nets. Bettors eager to get action on Wednesday’s Nets-Celtics showdown should consider this NBA player prop at DraftKings — the book has left a bit more value on the Kyrie Irving player prop markets than I expected. Check out OddsShopper’s tools for other sharp plays.
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Best Nets-Celtics NBA Player Prop | Kyrie Irving
Kyrie Irving Prop O/U 30.5 Points
Few NBA players are as antagonistic as Kyrie Irving. You don’t even need to dig into his opinions to come to that conclusion — just look at his home and away splits. Irving has averaged 4.7 more points per game on the road than at home this year. He also ranks 12th in usage rate over the last 10 games (31.4%), the games Kevin Durant has missed with an injury, and he could have something extra in store for fans at TD Garden on Wednesday night.
Irving’s recent usage spike corresponds with one in scoring. The star guard has averaged 31.4 points per game since Durant went down in early January, slightly above this total, and has gone for 40-plus points twice in that span. Irving has beaten this number in four of his last seven starts, and two of those misses came by the hook. Although Irving has sometimes flamed out in recent games against the Celtics, Durant’s absence pins his back against the wall.
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This year’s Boston Celtics haven’t been quite as excellent on defense as last year’s squad. Boston ranks a still-impressive fourth in defensive rating but has slumped to 21st when looking at just the last seven games. Their defense allows the second-most made shots in the non-restricted paint per game (9.1) and the most from mid-range (6.2). Irving excels from those low-percentage areas and trails only Durant in attempts from those parts of the floor. With him out, expect Irving to settle for — and convert — lower-percentage looks with some frequency.
Irving will have to put the Nets on his back to keep them in contention on Wednesday night. However, his home-away splits, rising usage rate and recent scoring all suggest that he can do it. Irving most recently went for 31-plus points against the Celtics in the first game of their playoff series, which they played at TD Garden, and a similar showing could be in store on Wednesday. Bettors should head to DraftKings Sportsbook to get this at -105 before the book moves the number up. Those who are yet to sign up for DraftKings can secure $200 in bonus bets after placing a $5 wager!
Best NBA Nets-Celtics Player Prop: Kyrie Irving Over 30.5 Points (-105 for 0.53 Unit) at DraftKings
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