Props Bets NBA Finals: Game 4 Decided by These Factors
How Game 4 Will be Won or Lost Via Props
The NBA Finals approaches Game 4 with the Boston Celtics favored by the online sportsbook. As Boston moves in for what would be a commanding 3-1 series lead, the Golden State Warriors must play as they’ve never played this season; with bloody desperation. How will Game 4 shape up? We use props bets NBA Finals to mold the narrative here.
Warriors vs Celtics Game 4 Info
- Matchup: Golden State Warriors (53-29) vs. Boston Celtics (51-31)
- Location: TD Garden, Boston
- Time: Friday, 9:00 P.M. ET
- Broadcast: ABC
The Second-Half Standoff
For the past three games, the winning team has pulled away by having a bigger second half. Even Game 2, which ended up being a blowout for Golden State, was decided in the third quarter. For Game 3, the Celtics withstood a third-quarter surge from Golden State and put them away in the fourth. The team that plays better after halftime adjustments should win the game.
The NBA Finals odds for this game paint the Celtics as the favorites and like them to win both halves. The second half is expected to be lower scoring as one team tends to slow down in the third or fourth. For game 3, the Warriors were held to 11 fourth-quarter points. As defenses tighten up in the second, the team with more clutch playmakers should have an edge.
Starting Faster
Just because the second half has proven more crucial in this NBA Finals, it doesn’t mean the first half means nothing. In fact, the team that has led after the first half has gone on to win all three games. The Celtics led the Warriors by a dozen points in Game 3 and held on to win the game. Boston, as expected, should once again lead per these Props bets NBA Finals.
Boston is the favorite to reach 20, 30, 40, 50, or even 60 first-half points. Heck, Boston is favored to be the first team to score as arbitrary as this “first basket” prop can be. But the market believes Boston has the momentum and its size has slowly but surely worn the Warriors out. This was seen with Golden State’s decline in the fourth. If this is true, expect Boston to once again start faster.
Curry Versus Smart
Stephen Curry versus Marcus Smart could mean everything for Game 4. The latter has put in work in being a thorn in Curry’s side. While Curry has still put up lofty scoring totals for the past three games, he has been much less efficient with Smart pestering him. In fact, Curry was held to just two points on 1-of-4 shooting in the fourth quarter while Smart scored eight points and knocked down 2-of-5 from 3-point range.
If Smart can continue hounding Curry, the Celtics could push the Warriors to the brink. The public betting on NBA is fading Smart via the prop bets for the NBA Finals. Folks are betting the “under” on a lot of Smart’s lines. But that’s alright as the most critical stats for Smart aren’t his own, they’re Curry’s.
Poole’s True Colors
The Warriors need Jordan Poole more than ever. The team’s sixth man needs to have a big game if Golden State is to hold Boston back. Poole has been all but absent in the team’s two losses against Boston. He had a big Game 2 in a blowout win but when the going gets tough, Poole needs to contribute. Golden State is 9-1 when Poole scores 16 or more points but just 2-4 when he scores 11 or fewer.
His betting line is set at just 11½ points. The public expects Poole to be a non-factor again because they are not moving it. They are also fading his other lines – rebounds and assists. Poole mostly just scores. But if he can contribute beyond just hitting threes, Golden State’s odds should fare better. When betting Props Bets NBA Finals, make sure you’re in the know.
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