🏀 NBA Player Props Tonight: NBA Playoffs Best Bets & Expert Picks for Tuesday, May 5

Our top NBA player props and best bets tonight feature Austin Reaves Over 20.5 points (-111), James Harden Under 19.5 points (-120), and more.

Corey Scott

Last Updated: May 5, 2026 10:10 PM EDT • 4 minute read

Pictured: Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15), seen here dribbling during a game, is featured in our NBA player props tonight. Photo by David Gonzales / Imagn Images.

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📡 SBR Edge: Reaves Gets Blackjack in OKC; Scores 21

My NBA player props tonight feature James Harden Under 19.5 points (-120), as he has put up 19 or fewer points in four of his last five outings. My second NBA best bet is Lu Dort Over 6.5 points (-120). He scored seven or more points in all three of his regular-season matchups against the Lakers. I wrap up my top picks with Austin Reaves Over 20.5 points (-111), as he is averaging 26.9 points per game without Luka Doncic in the lineup.

🏀 Best NBA player props tonight: May 5

See all of our experts' NBA picks based on the latest NBA odds.

💰 Pick	💡 Best odds	⚖️ Bet size	🧠 Why I'm making this bet
James Harden Under 19.5 points	-120 via DraftKings	1.2u -> 1u	Has scored 19 or fewer points in 4 of his last 5 games
Lu Dort Over 6.5 points	-120 via DraftKings	1.2u -> 1u	Scored 7+ points in all 3 regular-season meetings with LAL
Austin Reaves Over 20.5 points	-111 via DraftKings	1.11u -> 1u	Averaging 26.9 PPG without Doncic this season

Total wagered: 3.51 units | Max profit: 3 units

💰 Best NBA player prop bet tonight

Follow all of our NBA analysis and expert predictions this season.

James Harden Under 19.5 points (-120) at Pistons

I originally backed Harden against Toronto early in the series, but he has become less aggressive as the playoffs have progressed. He had 19 or fewer points in four of his final five first-round games and attempted just nine shots in the Cavaliers' Game 7 win.

Against the best defense in the East, don't expect Harden to become more aggressive. DraftKings lists Harden Under 19.5 points at -120, but this bet is good up to -140 on the best sports betting sites. Meanwhile, our LJ Blut backs the Cavaliers to cover the spread with his NBA play of the day.

💸 More Cavaliers vs. Pistons expert picks

I feature James Haren and Jalen Duren in my Cavaliers vs. Pistons player props for Game 1.

🔥 More NBA player prop picks

The Thunder are the betting favorite in the NBA championship odds.

Lu Dort Over 6.5 points (-120) vs. Lakers

I get it - Dort was practically invisible on offense against Phoenix in Game 4, but that doesn’t mean we have to overreact.

He had eight or more points in three of his four first-round games and, against L.A. specifically, scored seven or more in all three regular-season matchups.

Dort attempted seven or more shots in each of the first three games of the first round, and I expect his usage to look similar tonight in Game 1. Dort Over 6.5 points is -120 at DraftKings, but I would play this up to -140 on the best NBA betting sites.

Austin Reaves Over 20.5 points (-111) at Thunder

I can’t imagine a game plan for the Lakers tonight that doesn’t involve making Reaves the primary option on offense. He’s averaging 26.9 PPG without Doncic in the lineup this season and should be projected to score more as he gets more comfortable in the offense.

He has played only two games since returning from injury, so while we can’t ignore those results completely, the bigger picture is more important when projecting his output for Game 1. His Over 20.5 points is -111 at DraftKings, but I'd be comfortable playing this up to -130 on the best sports betting apps.

Austin Reaves player prop trends

Here's a look at how Reaves has performed recently, as well as against the Thunder:

Bet	Best odds	Last 5 games	Last 5 vs. Thunder
Over 20.5 points	-111 via DraftKings	1-4 ❌	1-4 ❌
Over 4.5 rebounds	+131 via Pinnacle	1-4 ❌	2-3 ❌
Over 4.5 assists	-147 via DraftKings	2-3 ❌	2-3 ❌
Over 2.5 three-pointers made	+149 via Caesars	0-5 ❌	2-3 ❌

🏀 More Lakers vs. Thunder expert picks

I target Austin Reaves and LeBron James in my Lakers vs. Thunder player props.

🎟️ Most-bet NBA player props tonight

Betting insights via BetMGM.

Player	Team	Bet	Odds
LeBron James	Lakers	Under 36.5 points + rebounds + assists	-135
Deandre Ayton	Lakers	Under 18.5 points + rebounds	-115
Austin Reaves	Lakers	Under 21.5 points	-125
Rui Hachimura	Lakers	Under 3.5 rebounds	-105
Marcus Smart	Lakers	Under 2.5 rebounds	+110

🚀 Best NBA parlay picks tonight

We saw in the first round that the Pistons don't need Jalen Duren to contribute offensively to cover the spread. Duren averaged just 11.3 PPG in the Pistons' three first-round covers, so if you like Detroit -3, this SGP offers a fair shot at boosting your bet. Bet365 lists this parlay at +280, while FanDuel offers +248.

💵 Best NBA parlay bet tonight

Pistons -3
Jalen Duren Under 15.5 points

Best odds: +280 via bet365 (0.36u -> 1u)

💡 More NBA expert picks tonight

NBA player props tonight
NBA play of the day: Cavaliers vs. Pistons
Cavaliers vs. Pistons player props
Lakers vs. Thunder player props

💵 My betting record for NBA picks

All NBA picks, including SGPs, have been tracked since Feb. 10.

Bet type	Record	Net profit	ROI
Overall	162.5-179-4.5	-8.02 units ❌	-2.3% ❌
Player props	144-124-4	-6.62 units ❌	-2.1% ❌
Parlays	14.5-50-0.5	-0.51 units ❌	-2.6% ❌
Spreads	2-3	-0.8 units ❌	-13.1% ❌
Totals	2-2	-0.09 units ❌	-4.1% ❌

My betting record in the NBA postseason

Tracked since April 14.

Bet type	Record	Net profit	ROI
Overall	54.5-52-0.5	+9.32 units ✅	11.4% ✅
Player props	45-25	+12.91 units ✅	19.3% ✅
Parlays	6.5-22-0.5	-1.2 units ❌	-14.5% ❌
Spreads	1-3	-2.3 units ❌	-52.5% ❌
Totals	2-2	-0.09 units ❌	-4.1% ❌

💡 How I'm betting NBA player props tonight

When betting Game 1s in the conference semifinals or later, I like to carry over trends from the end of the first round, as teams usually don’t drastically change their game plans until Game 3 or later in a series. While Harden’s Under and Dort’s Over both carry over from the end of the first round, Reaves presents a unique scenario, as he played just two games last round - and one came in a Lakers 20-point win, which doesn’t help predict how he’ll perform as a 15.5-point underdog.

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Written by:
Corey Scott

Corey is a Publishing Editor at Sportsbook Review and holds a diploma in Radio and Television Sports Broadcasting from the College of Sports Media in Toronto. He is one of the NBA player-prop specialists at SBR and focuses on the impact of injuries to identify where the market has been slow to adjust. Corey also frequently bets sides in the NBA, NFL, MLB, and CFL, typically using a top-down approach to beat the closing line. His work has appeared across the USA Today Network, Gambling.com Group, and Athlon Sports. With more than a decade of sports betting experience, Corey is familiar with all types of operators, from regulated sportsbooks to less conventional platforms, though he primarily uses Pinnacle and FanDuel. While he rarely bets parlays anymore - unless they are clearly mispriced - his biggest win came from a seven-team parlay at +13675 odds. Corey visits Las Vegas multiple times a year. His favorite resort is the Wynn/Encore, though he can be found at any sportsbook offering an off-market number.