Best NBA Prop Bets Today for Celtics vs Pelicans: No Ingram? No Problem!
The Boston Celtics travel to the Smoothie King Center tonight to take on the New Orleans Pelicans in a match-up that should be nothing short of a playoff-like intensity with two teams set to play in the postseason, and hope to stick around for a while.
With a 5.5 match point spread, this game promises to be competitive, meaning key players will be logging big minutes, giving us spots to make some money on Saturday night. Here's how I'm betting player props for Celtics vs. Pelicans, including a look at CJ McCollum filling the void for the injured Brandon Ingram.
New DraftKings Sportsbook users! Don't miss out on this new user bonus that is giving YOU $150 in bonus bets when you make a first wager of just $5.
Best Prop Bets for Celtics vs Pelicans
- CJ McCollum OVER 21.5 points
- Jrue Holiday OVER 9.5 points
- Trey Murphy OVER 5.5 rebounds
CJ McCollum OVER 21.5 Points
This play is pretty straightforward. Brandon Ingram is OUT tonight with a bone contusion in his left knee, which sets the scene for CJ McCollum to show up in a big way.
McCollum boasts an impressive 88% hit rate on this line in games without Ingram this season, averaging 26.3 points. He is also over in his last 7 straight games without Ingram, showcasing his consistency as a scoring threat.
The Celtics don’t provide a great matchup for McCollum, but without Ingram in the lineup, the volume should be there. He’s averaging 21.3 field goal attempts without Ingram and had 38 points last time out against the Celtics earlier this season. So until he shows he can't handle the pressure of leading the Pelicans, this feels like a must play tonight.
Jrue Holiday OVER 9.5 Points
I love picking players against their old teams. It always seems like they have a little bit more to play for, and Holiday in a buy-low spot against his former team in the Pelicans, looks like an absolute smash spot. Since he left, Holiday has recorded 22, 40, 21, 18, 17, and 20 against his former squad. His role has definitely changed since he joined the Celtics, but he's still a proven scorer, who recorded 20 points against the Pelicans earlier this season.
Game script aside, Jrue is averaging 13.4 points per game on the road this season, meaning we are getting almost a 4-point discount on his line.
The Pelicans are a strong-team against the point-guard position, but against a Boston team full of superstars, I predict they'll be spread too thin, leaving Holiday open and able to find some good looks. All we need is 10, and I trust Holiday to get the job done.
Trey Murphy OVER 5.5 Rebounds
With Ingram sidelined due to injury, it sets the stage for another Pelicans player to shine, and shine he has.
Trey Murphy has more than stepped up in Ingram's absence, boasting an 83% hit rate on this line without him, and averaging 7 rebounds per game. For the month of March, he's maintained a perfect 100% hit rate without Ingram, averaging 8.3 rebounds per game.
Murphy is grabbing more rebounds because he's seeing that much more playing time, averaging 34.2 minutes per game during this span. With only a 5.5 point spread, the game should remain competitive with not much potential for a blowout, meaning Murphy should play 30+ minutes and clear this line handley, as he's been doing consistently lately.