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Welcome to our Sleeper NBA DFS prop picks for Wednesday, April 17. Whether it’s ‘win and you’re in’ or ‘lose and go home,’ single-game elimination basketball is by far the most entertaining spectacle in all of sports.
Post-season basketball has an entirely different feel to it, and last night’s games were a perfect embodiment of that. Lakers-Pelicans came down to the wire, and the Warriors' house of cards was finally toppled by the Kings. Tonight, the Eastern Conference bare their teeth with the 76ers taking on the Heat at home and the Hawks hosting the Bulls.
One matchup is anchored by defense and a slow pace, while the other is primed to hit the over regardless of how much it raises from the current o/u222.0 line.
Sleeper offers some of the best and easiest-to-win NBA DFS games in the industry. Sleeper DFS works just like regular player prop betting -- there are no large-field tournaments in which to get lost. You're not playing against other people; you're just playing against the projections. Here are some of our favorite NBA prop picks for Wednesday's 2-game slate.
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NBA DFS Props - Over/Under Picks for Wednesday, April 17
Haywood Highsmith OVER 4.5 Points
Playoff basketball is all about bench production. Even when your superstars can carry the weight of a seven-game series, it’s rarely enough to win outright. The first guys off the bench have a responsibility to score points and Haywood Highsmith ends up taking more shots than some starters anyway. As one of the only reserve forwards Miami actually plays, Highsmith at the very least is going to get shots up.
The 76ers defense will try to funnel production away from players like Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, and Bam Adebayo, giving Highsmith even more upside in what should be a slow-burn type of matchup. Both Caleb Martin and Highsmith have their work cut out for them, assuming Philadelphia lets those two try to beat them rather than the tandem of Butler, Herro, and Adebayo. In the three games Highsmith’s played against the 76ers this year he’s scored double-digits in all three.
Joel Embiid UNDER 16.5 Rebounds + Assists
The 76ers, with and without Joel Embiid, are the difference between a playoff team and a lottery pick. He changes the entire dynamic of the roster, but lining up against Bam Adebayo alters his stat line significantly. Where he thrives as a stationary rebounder and post-passer, it doesn’t work against Miami. Embiid hasn’t mattered in a win over the Heat in nearly two seasons, and he hasn’t scored over 30 points against Adebayo since 2019.
The last time he hit this over in a matchup was a game in 2022, where the Heat won by 17 points, and Embiid was held to 26% shooting. Embiid is a generational talent, but in terms of betting, we bet the numbers, not the player. This is not the right time to be cashing-in on Embiid overs, although there will always be a time and place for that in the regular season when he’s healthy. There’s more than likely a reason why Embiid rarely suits up against Miami, and we’ll see it tonight.
Trae Young OVER 10.5 Assists
Putting up 11 assists in a playoff game is no easy task. Luckily, this is playing directly into Trae Young’s strengths. The playoffs tend to cap stats and force players into uncomfortable positions, but with the amount of times have we seen Young cut through the most daunting defenses with ease, all concern is lost. Good offense always beats good defense and even Young at 75% is still a creative playmaker and efficient scorer.
The Bulls defense has a few players who specialize in shutting down opposing guards, but it’s not the reason a top-tier offensive talent has a poor outing against them. You know it’s bad when you can’t stop making jokes about Chicago’s defense to properly write a summary, and if anyone even mentions the Bulls defense or Alex Caruso being a "Trae Young-stopper," tell them to actually watch the games.
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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