Bet the Over on Jordan Poole's Points Prop in Celtics-Warriors NBA Finals Game 1
By Ben Heisler
Part of the fun of creating sports betting content every day at BetSided is there's always something new to learn and discover. With the NBA Finals finally here, there's no shortage of useful wagering nuggets, insightful data, and sharp analysis to pick up if you know where to look.
Game 1 begins tonight in San Francisco, with the Warriors listed as 3.5-point favorites over the Boston Celtics.
One stat that boggled my mind was when I stumbled across NBA.com's John Schuhmann's deep dive into the upcoming NBA Finals.
Amidst the hundreds of metrics, stats, notes, and factoids, one in particular stood out most.
The most efficient shooter in the NBA this year? None other than Warriors guard Jordan Poole.
Poole led all players in true shooting percentage this season with a usage rate of 20% of higher at 67.3%. TS% is an advanced metric that measures efficiency in shooting far more accurately than simply field goal percentage, free throw percentage and 3-point percentage.
His efficiency and scoring will be needed more than ever this season in Game 1, and it's why I'm going with his OVER on 15.5 points at -125 odds at WynnBET Sportsbook.
I couldn't wait until the day of Game 1 of the #NBAFinals, so here's an early birdie bet.
— Ben Heisler (@bennyheis) June 2, 2022
Jump into the Jordan prop bet Poole with me at @BetSided. OVER 15.5 PTS. pic.twitter.com/7LFTKlR2fY
Poole has hit this number in three of his last five games, and the Warriors play at their fastest pace when he's on the floor. Per NBA.com, lineups with Poole average 105.3 possessions per 48 minutes. That's the fastest pace of all 13 lineups the Warriors have used with at least 75 minutes.
While already factored into his true shooting percentage, it's worth pointing out that Poole has been nearly automatic at the free-throw line; hitting 55 for 60, or 91.7% from the charity stripe.
While he averages 0.2 more points per game on the road, Poole shoots at a much higher rate at home; hitting 46.6% of his field goals and 37.9% of his 3-point shots; compared to 43.1 and 34.9 away from the Chase Center.
With Marcus Smart watching over Steph Curry like a hawk, this is a great opportunity to zig away from the Warriors' NBA Finals MVP favorite, and focus in on an outstanding scorer that's likely to see less attention.
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