April 23, 2022

Prop bets ahead of the Sixers' Game 4 matchup against Raptors

By Shamus Clancy
PhillyVoice Staff

I don't know if the Sixers will sweep the Raptors on Saturday, but I do know that I wish I bet on them to do so.

The Sixers have gotten off to the best playoff start possible, cruising to two clear home wins before stealing a road game in a contest in which the Sixers played pretty poorly overall. The stage is set for them to send the Raptors to whatever the Canadian equivalent of Cancun is (Nova Scotia?) and end Toronto's season.

I've done okay betting on the Sixers this series. No, I am not some handicapper or a person who's going to try to convince you that they could live in Vegas making a killing doing this. I'm just a man who enjoys hoops and likes to throw in some bets from time to time.

My best bet this round for the Sixers was grabbing a player performance double before Game 1 that had Tyrese Maxey topping 30-plus points and the Sixers to win at +2500 ($10 to win $250). Nice cash on that one!

Here are a few bets I'm looking at for what Sixers fans hope is the team's series finale against the Raptors:

Tobias has had a double-double in the last two games. He reinvented himself as a 36 million-dollar grinder on the boards and defense in Game 3. I think he’ll keep cleaning the glass.

first bet for tomorrow: pic.twitter.com/uNhnqjiIkP
— shamus (@shamus_clancy) April 22, 2022

Tobias Harris legit had my head spinning in Toronto in Game 3. For a much-maligned scorer and fourth option who's on a contract worth $180 million, Harris reinvented himself as a grinder. He played staunch defense against the Raptors' endless slate of wings, crashed the boards with authority and brought out a dog mentality I had never seen from him previously.

I could see that happening again on Saturday. After a great 26-point performance on Game 1, Harris has notched double-doubles in the Sixers' last two games. Will he hit that mark in Game 4? I'm banking on it, putting up $15 to win $90 at some solid +600 odds on FanDuel.

Here's a same-game parlay that I threw together:

Joel Embiid to score 30+ points, James Harden to record 8+ assists, Tyrese Maxey to record 20+ points and Harris to grab 8+ rebounds. That's +1200 odds. I'm throwing down $12 (I gamble responsibly!) to potentially win $156.11 on FanDuel.

Embiid is dealing with a thumb injury currently, but the last time he dealt with a significant hand injury, he threw up a 40-point triple-double. I'm not worried about the big fella. I expect him to get his.

Harden has gone from the filthy scorer he was during his peak in Houston to an elite distributor during his short stint with the Sixers. Harden was second in the NBA with 10.3 assists per game this season. His assist totals through the team's first three playoff games: 14, six and 10. It's a reasonable bar for him to clear.

Maxey stole the show to open up the Sixers' series with Toronto, dropping 38 points in Game 1. He followed that up with a 23-point effort in Game 2 before "only" tallying 19 points in Game 3. Again, this isn't an astronomical ask of Maxey. It's just hoping that he continues the path of play he's currently on.

Yeah, I already covered Harris and rebounding above, but the song remains the same.

Another bet I like? This collab between Sixers podcast Rights to Ricky Sanchez and DraftKings:

We are doing our fourth @RTRSPodcast X @DKSportsbook Same Game Parlay for the Sixers playoff run. 2-1 so far!

This time it is THE DANNY. I believe in Danny. No 'errant floater' parts of the prop.

Link for odds and betting: https://t.co/7O9ZETwdrW pic.twitter.com/eO3Mc5U9JS
— Spike Eskin (@SpikeEskin) April 23, 2022

Danny Green has played like the Danny Green who has three championship rings on his hand this series. With Matisse Thybulle unable to play in Toronto due to vaccine issues (🙄), the Sixers have relied heavily on the 34-year-old Green to play major minutes. He's unleashed a gear I no longer thought he had on D while also spacing the floor on the other side of the court to allow Embiid, Harden and Maxey to cook.

Green has topped three three-pointers in each of the last two games. He's topped three rebounds in two of the three games this series. There's a revenge game element here given that Green was on the 2019 Raptors team that won the championship. I'm sure that Green enjoys hitting daggers in front of his old fan base. He has that energy to him.

Green to have 10+ points, 3+ rebounds, 3+ threes and the Sixers to win is +350. Not wildly high odds, but it's a sound bet. As it gets closer to tipoff, I might make a small wager on this bad boy.

As always, I'll close with a reminder to bet responsibly.

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