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Welcome to our Sleeper NBA DFS prop picks for Wednesday, May 8. What’s more likely tonight? Will the Knicks starters all score in double digits again, or will T.J. McConnell and Myles Turner still lead the scoring charge for the Pacers?
Both teams play a specific brand of team-oriented basketball, but Indiana usually has the security of Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam to fall back on. Neither scored over 20 points in Game 1, and Haliburton even finished with more assists than shot attempts. The Knicks' defense is talented, but to shut down the league’s assist leader like that is a terrible look for both the Pacers and Haliburton moving forward.
Without their star point guard’s normal production, Indiana has little to no chance of staying afloat in this series, especially since Haliburton is the buoyancy that usually keeps the Pacers' ship balanced. If that won’t be the case, New York is going to let Turner and McConnell try and beat them, with Indiana’s only real hope being the bench scoring near 50 points again in Game 2.
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NBA DFS Props - Over/Under Picks for Wednesday, May 8
Ben Sheppard OVER 3.5 Points
If the Pacers bench is taking on a more demanding role to make up for the starters, Ben Sheppard’s spacing is going to continue to get him the attempts we need. He played less than 20 minutes in Game 1, but shooting four three-pointers and scoring eight points in a loss is a great sign for someone hoping to capitalize on a 3.5-point over bet. Playing behind both Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard creates an obvious limit, but Indiana needs scoring, and Sheppard is the lone quick trigger on the Pacer’s bench.
That alone is going to get him 15 minutes and enough attempts to hit the over; he just needs actually to hit the shots. With the limited minutes, that’s a justifiable concern, but McConnell scoring 18 points on 15 shots is precisely what the Knicks defense wants, and it led to New York stealing Game 1. That type of efficiency from a bench player is arguably game-changing and with Sheppard already showing positive signs, don’t be surprised if they look his way more often.
Myles Turner OVER 17.5 Points
The Pacers have been carried by Myles Turner this postseason, and surprisingly, it’s been through his shooting. Normally, defense is the staple that drives his impact, but outside Games 5 & 6 of the Pacers' last series versus the Bucks, Turner has been the focal point of the offense. He scored over 20 points three games in a row, forcing Milwaukee to lock him down first and foremost, leading to other Pacers picking up the slack and ultimately cruising into the second round. This offense has no choice but to ride until the wheels fall off, and that is solely dependent on the spacing Turner offers each night.
So far, it’s hard to say it’s not working since the blame for losing Game 1 lies solely on the shoulders of the Pacer’s two highest-paid players, Siakam and Haliburton, not the one player who actually scored that game. Turner knows his role, and that’s not going to change this late in the season. He’ll keep fading on those pick-and-rolls, and until he’s seriously cooled off, unders below 20 points are in serious jeopardy with how well and how much he is shooting.
Jalen Brunson OVER 37.5 Points
There had to be one Knick featured in this article, and of course, it’s going to be none other than Jalen Brunson. The Josh Hart combination overs look great across the board now that he’s not settling for bad shots, and O.G. Anunoby’s assist and rebound prop lines are considerably low, given the fact he’s hit this over on rebounds alone in three of his last four games. However, the one guy that makes it all possible is Jalen Brunson. The best part about taking the over is that it doesn’t matter what happens in the first three quarters because the fourth is Brunson’s.
How much time can you spend trying to hype up someone who, time and time again, speaks for themselves? Brunson’s last game was just another notch in the ever-growing belt of one of the league’s best players. If that’s not clear, how many more times does he need to prove it? If you haven’t found space on the Brunson bandwagon, then hop on cause there’s more than enough room. Just for reference, 36% USG and 26 field goal attempts in Game 1.
Be sure to also check out our brand new PrizePicks Optimizer tool and the free PrizePicks DFS Props Tool to see more recommended picks.
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