Suppose you’re unsure which side to go with tonight when the Western Conference begins in San Francisco. Why stress picking either the Dallas Mavericks or Golden State Warriors on the 5.5-point spread. Maybe you’re not into game totals and can’t put a pulse on which offense will show up for Game 1 and are staying away from the 214.5 Over/Under. Golden State’s -230 moneyline might not have the value you are looking for, and the Mavs at +190 might be too much of a leap.
Therein lies the beauty of player props where the winning team and total score can’t ruin your fun. The SportsGrid player props tool is batting in the .600s and has a handful of five-star picks for your choosing tonight.
All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Dallas Mavericks vs. Golden State Warriors NBA Game InformationDallas Mavericks (8-5) | Golden State Warriors (8-3)
Date: 05/18/2022 | Time: 09:00 PM
Location: San Francisco, California | Venue: Chase Center
Draymond Green: 15.5 Reb + Ast – Under -125 – Edge: 14.8% – Projection: 13.6 Reb + Ast
Draymond Green: 6.5 Assists – Under +120 – Edge: 15.7% – Projection: 5.9 Assists
Luka Doncic: 33.5 Points – Under -112 – Edge: 15% – Projection: 30.2 Points
Jordan Poole: 6.5 Reb + Ast – Over -142 – Edge: 15.5% – Projection: 8.6 Reb + Ast
Jordan Poole: 3.5 Assists – Over -120 – Edge: 18.6% – Projection: 4.8 Assists
Check out SportsGrid’s NBA Player Prop Tool for all the top-rated picks
Dive in the Playmaking Poole
If you’re only looking to roll with one of our five-star picks, Jordan Poole is your guy tonight. Poole has become more of a facilitator when called upon in these playoffs. The third-year man out of Michigan is growing as a player right before our eyes.
As we watch him progress, his court vision is getting better and better. Poole has gone over 3.5 assists (-120) in six playoff games this year. In three of those contests, the 22-year-old dished out eight, nine, and nine dimes, so he can certainly run the offense, especially when sharpshooters Steph Curry and Klay Thompson are nailing triples.
Keep in mind the Warriors also played in two blowout games this postseason. The one where G-State was cooked before halftime and Poole only saw 19 minutes, and the other they were ahead a ton against Memphis, so offense was not the priority in the late going.
The tool also suggests going under Draymond’s assists total, so precision passing should spread elsewhere with more opportunities for JP.
If you want a little bit of insurance, his combo rebounds and assists prop offers a bit of a cushion but with a price. While the -142 juice may be a harsh drink to swallow, Poole has had some decent games on the glass in these playoffs with eight, six, and five boards, his top performances.
Dallas was near the middle of the pack in defensive rebounds allowed this season, and 34 of those games featured 7’3″ Kristaps Porzingis in the lineup before the deadline deal that shipped him to Washington.
Poole is your prime pick in Game 1.