3 Best NBA Bets and Player Props for Thunder at Celtics

Even within a single NBA game, betting markets are abundant.

You can bet traditional markets like the spread or the total, but we've also got tons of player-prop markets to sift through.

Which bets stand out today as the Oklahoma City Thunder face the Boston Celtics?

Let's dig into the best bets in FanDuel Sportsbook's NBA betting odds, utilizing FanDuel Research's NBA projections to try to find value.

Thunder at Celtics Betting Picks

Thunder Under 57.5 1st Half Points (-108)

The Celtics will host the Thunder for one of the most highly-anticipated NBA games this season. Boston and OKC each currently flash laughable -135 odds on FanDuel's Eastern and Western Conference odds market, so there's no denying tonight could serve as a Finals preview.

Boston is favored by 2.5 points, and the over/under is sitting at 229.5. My favorite way to bet this game is looking for the Thunder to score under 57.5 points in the first half.

The Celtics have been preparing for OKC. They gave Jayson Tatum and Al Horford the night off on Monday and are projected to have everyone available tonight, perhaps save for the always missing Kristaps Porzingis. Whether that rest and recovery results in a win is for them to prove, but I do think it'll show through their defensive efforts. It's hard to forget that Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, and Derrick White just helped limit Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers to 101 points on Saturday, including just 54 points in the first half.

As for the Thunder, they are averaging an expectedly-awesome 61.3 points per game in the first half. However, they are netting only 57.5 first-half points versus bottom-11 pace teams, and the Celtics run at the fourth-slowest pace. If we factor in only the top 14 defenses in that split (Boston is 5th), OKC is scoring 56.5 points and scored under 57.5 points in 7 out of 12 games, missing by the hook once.

Boston holds teams to 53.9 points in the first half, as well as 53.0 points on their home court. We saw them limit the Thunder to 55 first-half points on the road earlier this season despite OKC shooting threes at a lucky 42.1% clip in that one. Look for the C's to lead with their defense from the jump.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Under 33.5 Points (-112)

It's been hard to stomach fading Shai Gilgeous-Alexander this season -- let alone in a game as big as this one -- but soon we'll see it's one of the best value bets for Wednesday.

SGA has scored under 33.5 points in 61.3% of games -- up from the 52.8% implied probability on these -112 odds.

Chet Holmgren returned from a hip injury in early February and is not listed on the injury report for today. The market hasn't been nearly reactive enough to how Holmgren's return has affected SGA's scoring output.

In 20 games alongside Chet, SGA is averaging only 28.7 points per game. Even more, he scored under 33.5 points at a staggering 80.0% clip (16 out of 20 contests) in this split. We cannot let Shai's 40-point outbursts distract us from his numbers with Holmgren in the fold.

To add -- and might I say a big add -- Gilgeous-Alexander will have to face a Celtics defense that has been preparing for him. As mentioned, Boston ranks fifth on defense and lets up the third-fewest points per game, as well as the third-fewest points per minute to opposing guards.

Factor in Boston's restricting pace, and it could be a quiet night for Shai -- of course, by his standards. Our NBA projections -- which are typically rightfully high on SGA -- expect him to score only 30.8 points against Boston. It certainly helps that the C's cough up the fewest free-throw attempts in the NBA.

Derrick White Over 23.5 Pts + Reb + Ast (-118)

It'd be against my nature to leave without recommending a Derrick White line. White's combined points, rebounds, and assists (PRA) prop is the gift that keeps on giving, and we have a solid angle to support it tonight.

On the season, White is averaging 25.3 PRA and has cleared 23.5 PRA at a 64.5% rate -- up from the 54.1% implied probability via these -118 odds.

Derrick has been particularly productive against the league's top defenses, leaving him in a spot to thrive against OKC's top-ranked D. He's exceeded 23.5 PRA in 22 out of 30 games (73.3%) against top-15 defenses. White's also sailed north of 23.5 PRA in 13 out of 17 games (76.5%) against top-9 defenses.

Plus, he's generating 26.5 PRA at TD Garden and the 38.8% three-point shooter is due to see positive regression after going 6-for-26 (23.1%) from behind the arc across his last three.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.