Top NBA Finals Game 2 Prop Picks: Warriors Will Bounce Back Defensively

The Boston Celtics own a one-game lead over the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. We highlight a number of prop plays for Game 2 of the NBA Finals.

After a thrilling Game 1 comeback, the Celtics hope lightning can strike twice against Steve Kerr’s Golden State Warriors to secure a two-game lead. They’ll still have the upper hand regardless of how Sunday afternoon’s contest goes, but the Warriors will be in a cavernous hole with a loss. I don’t expect such an experienced team to fold that easily.

The Celtics are no strangers to the occasional off-night. For instance, Jayson Tatum scored only 12 points in Game 1. With their backs against the wall, the Warriors need to dominate on the glass and force turnovers in order to eke out a win.

Here are my top NBA Finals Game 2 prop picks for the matchup between the Celtics and Warriors (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

NBA Finals Game 2 Top Prop Picks

• Kevon Looney Over 15.5 points and rebounds (-120 via FanDuel) ★★★★
• Jayson Tatum Over 3.5 turnovers (+115 via DraftKings) ★★★★
• Al Horford Under 8.5 rebounds (+108 via FanDuel) ★★★

Check out our top-rated sportsbooks here

Top NBA Prop Picks

Looney Over 15.5 points and rebounds (-120)

Kevon Looney has dominated at points in every playoff series we’ve seen thus far. He recorded 16-plus rebounds twice, once against the Memphis Grizzlies and once against the Dallas Mavericks, and he’s averaged 23 minutes per game ever since the near-sweep of the Denver Nuggets.

The 26-year-old center captured nine rebounds and scored four points in Game 1 of the Finals. Although 13 is a healthy margin below this line, his rebound rate of 21.9% led all players with 10-plus minutes, except for 6-foot-1 Payton Pritchard. Behind him, Robert Williams rebounded only 15.3% of available balls, and Al Horford grabbed 11.3%.

Looney’s rebound rate suggests that he should continue to contribute on the glass against Boston. After all, the Celtics averaged 46.1 rebounds per game in the regular season. No members of their current rotation recorded a regular-season rebound rate above 18%.

We’re targeting the points and rebounds line – not just the rebounds line – because Looney should benefit from positive regression in Game 2. He shot just 25% from the field in the opening game but went 57.1% from the field in the regular season. With his solid rebound rate and decent shooting percentage, Looney is a safe bet to surpass a relatively low number.

Tatum Over 3.5 turnovers (+115)

Tatum came into this series leading the NBA in playoff turnovers. Although teammate Jaylen Brown’s poor dribbling had drawn more media attention, Tatum’s own mistakes have routinely cost the Celtics. He averaged 4.7 turnovers per game against the Miami Heat and 3.4 per game against the Milwaukee Bucks.

If the Celtics lose Game 2, the Warriors will have to force the ball away from Tatum. That’s what worked for the Heat. Tatum averaged 6.7 turnovers per game when the Celtics lost in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Warriors forced 14.5 turnovers per game in the regular season, which ranked eighth-best in the NBA. The Warriors have only forced 12.8 turnovers per game in the playoffs, but because we’re getting this line at plus money, I’m willing to target it regardless.

Horford Under 8.5 rebounds (+108)

This line probably shouldn’t be in the plus money after Game 1. Horford carried the Celtics to a miraculous fourth-quarter comeback, but he still couldn’t surpass this generous total. He nabbed only six rebounds in the opening contest, well below his playoff average of 9.4 per game, and I suspect that trend will continue.

The Warriors own the better playoff offensive rebounding percentage of these teams at 28.7%. That’s all the more impressive because they had to face the Grizzlies, Mavericks, and Nuggets in the playoffs, and all three teams recorded a top-10 defensive rebounding percentage in the regular season. The Celtics ranked a close 11th, but their playoff defensive rebounding percentage sits at just 70.9%, which ranks just 10th among playoff teams.

Horford’s 11.3% rebound rate from Game 1 should concern bettors. Further, the fact he played only 32.5 minutes should do the same. The Celtics won’t be able to lean on the 36-year-old veteran for both points and rebounding, so let’s capitalize by playing a plus-money Under for a veteran who averaged only 7.7 rebounds per game in the regular season.

Where to Bet NBA Finals Game 2 Prop Picks

Here are our top-rated sportsbooks:

• FanDuel Sportsbook
• Caesars Sportsbook
• DraftKings Sportsbook
• PointsBet
• BetMGM

SEE ALSO: All picks, odds, and sports betting news. Be sure to check out SportsbookReview.com’s community forums and betting tools.

NBA Finals Game 2 Prop picks made on 6/4/2022 at 3:36 p.m. ET.

The post Top NBA Finals Game 2 Prop Picks: Warriors Will Bounce Back Defensively appeared first on Picks.