Sports legends are often made in playoff elimination games, which is why wagering on proposition bets for them can prove difficult.
A star’s usage is expected, but so is the opposing defense’s focus on that player.
In the decisive Game 5 of their semifinal series, the Las Vegas Aces host the Indiana Fever as eight-point favorites with a total of 158.5 points.
I lean to the underdog with the points, but I think there is a stronger angle on the props.
Specifically, Indiana point guard Odyssey Sims has a prop of 9.5 points, and I envision her scoring in double digits.
Sims is unique in that she was claimed off waivers during the season, making her the fourth point guard the Fever have used in the starting lineup this season.
But even without a conventional path, she has become a valuable weapon for Indiana and filled up the stat sheet in this series.
Sims has scored 17 or 18 points in three of the four games in this series, in addition to an outlier performance in Game 3 with just two points on 0-of-7 shooting.
She is a shorter and quicker guard and, thus, can find driving lanes.
That is Sims’ asset against a Las Vegas defense that will be focused on defending MVP finalist Kelsey Mitchell, while also monitoring open 3-point shooters.
Sims has a knack for picking her spots effectively, knowing when the team needs her to shoot and when she must defer to teammates.
This entire team has rallied around the rash of injuries to formulate excellent chemistry and will be relentless with their upset bid.
I have a 67-53-1 ATS record in this Post sports section, and my next play is Sims Over 9.5 points in Game 5 (-125, bet365).
Doug Kezirian is a New York Post contributor who has over two decades of experience in the betting space, including spending 11 years at ESPN as a host, columnist and betting analyst. He’s also the rare personality who has documented success – 14th place in 2023 Circa Million and Las Vegas SuperContest ($37K), two top-10 finishes in 2022 William Hill College Football Challenge ($58K) and also grabbed headlines with a $297K win on the 2021 NFL Draft.