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Best NBA Player Prop for Jayson Tatum in Pacers-Celtics Game 1

Analyzing the best player prop for the star of the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final.

By Benjamin Upson

May 15, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) drives the ball against Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) in the third quarter during game five of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
May 15, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) drives the ball against Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) in the third quarter during game five of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
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The Eastern Conference Finals gets underway on Tuesday with the Boston Celtics are set to host the Indiana Pacers in a best-of-7 series at TD Garden in Games 1, 2, 5 and 7. The series will shift to Indiana for Games 3, 4 and 6. 

It’s the first conference finals appearance since 2014 for the Pacers, while the Celtics are back on this stage for the sixth time in the past eight seasons. This is an intriguing matchup on both sides and we’re going to focus on Jayson Tatum and his best player prop in this series opener.

Best NBA Player Prop for Jayson Tatum in Pacers vs. Celtics Game 1

Jayson Tatum OVER 9.5 Rebounds

In these NBA Playoffs, it’s fair to say that Jayson Tatum has perhaps been a touch behind in scoring some nights, but he is making his presence known on the boards during this Celtics run.

He lives on the low block which positions him for grabbing the defensive rebounds. His over 9.5 prop is the best bet in this game tonight as he’s been averaging a double-double in these playoffs.

He's gone over this number in 8 of the Celtics 10 playoff games to this point. He’s been very active in the interior and is going in to crash the glass. The Celtics are also the top defensive rebounding team in the NBA (35.6 per game).

Tatum ranks 24th in the NBA in rebounds (8.1 per game in the regular season, 10.4 in the playoffs) and has played an average of 39.2 minutes in the postseason.

While the Celtics are certainly the favorite team in this series and could get out to a big lead at the end of the game, I still expect him to play a ton of minutes in order to hit the over on his rebound prop.

This is a best bet in Game 1 and while you’ll have to lay some juice on it, it’s worth a good squeeze.

Note: Odds are subject to change.

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