Celtics vs. Sixers player props: Bet on P.J. Tucker, Malcolm Brogdon to contribute

It’s Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, and we have Celtics vs. 76ers predictions as we target the player props market.

Philadelphia took a 3-2 lead in the series after an impressive 115-103 road victory in Game 5 as eight-point underdogs. The 76ers are now one win away from their first Eastern Conference finals since 2001.

While this is certainly a spot where you’d expect the stars to shine bright, you’ll often find their props inflated for a game of this magnitude. As a result, I think we can find better success by turning to the supporting cast when building out our player props card.

Odds provided by BetMGM, current as of the time of writing and subject to change.

It was a quiet performance for Brogdon in Game 5 as the Sixth Man of the Year finished with seven points in the contest. It was the first game in the series in which he scored below double digits.

But perhaps what was most surprising was that he had only nine shot attempts. Overall, he’s averaging 16.8 points on 13 shot attempts in this series.

Although Brodgon played just 26 minutes in the contest, he’s already had two games in this series where he played roughly the same number of minutes but had a higher usage rate.

This game feels like a spot where you’d expect Brogdon to bounce back. But even if he’s not as productive scoring the basketball, he’s more likely to contribute in other areas on the floor.

As a result, I’m targeting Brogdon’s rebounding as one area where he could contribute.

In Game 5, he recorded just three rebounds — the same number he had in Games 1 and 3. However, he bounced back with six rebounds in Game 2 and eight rebounds in Game 4.

I like that trend to continue in Game 6, especially since I project that Brogdon will have less impact scoring the basketball.

» READ MORE: Will the Hurricanes deliver a knockout blow to the Devils in Game 5?

Tucker might not give you a lot of scoring, but he provides intangibles every time he steps on the court. That’s why he had multiple suitors following his decision to opt out of his player option last summer with the Miami Heat.

The 38-year-old is widely regarded as a glue guy — a player who acts almost as a connective tissue, linking the different parts of the team together, whether that involves being a voice for the coaches inside the locker room or serving as the bridge between the veterans and the young players.

These players also help hold everyone accountable and are essential to establishing a winning culture.

Generally, it also helps when these glue guys can contribute to the floor. Tucker was mired in a slump after a 1-for-10 stretch on three-pointers in the first round. Things got so bad that in the 76ers’ Game 1 win over the Celtics, he didn’t attempt a single shot in 37 minutes on the court.

But now Tucker’s regained his stroke as he’s 6-for-12 from behind the arc in his past four games. Everyone needs a bit of confidence, and Tucker is no different.

Given how he’s shooting the ball lately, I think he has an excellent chance to go over this combo prop of 9.5 points, rebounds and assists.

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