The 2023-2024 NBA season kicked off recently and many sports bettors will be looking to bet on player stats of stars like LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Steph Curry, Nikola Jokic and rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama.
But, one sports bettor had another plan of action on Wednesday night, targeting the betting props on a backup player who could play a lot in a blowout game.
What Happened: The NBA season has kicked off with the Boston Celtics going 5-0, making them the only remaining unbeaten team in the league.
While the team is getting contributions from its five starting players, who all average double digits in points, the team turned to its bench Wednesday in a 155-104 blowout win over the Indiana Pacers.
The Celtics’ star Jayson Tatum, who is averaging over 30 points a game, had 30 points and 12 rebounds before sitting out the fourth quarter.
Backup point guard Payton Pritchard was among the beneficiaries of the blowout win, reaching a season high 26 minutes in the game. Pritchard's 26 minutes were the most among the non-starters in the contest.
In the Celtics win, Pritchard had 15 points, 4 rebounds and 9 assists, while shooting 60% from the field. This marked season highs for Pritchard for assists, points, minutes and field goals made.
On the season, Pritchard is now averaging 4.4 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game with an average of 18.8 minutes played per game. Pritchard has played all five games, but came off the bench in each contest.
The point totals for Pritchard in the other four games on the season are 4,3,0 and 0.
Last NBA season, Pritchard played 48 games with three starts and averaged 5.6 points, 18 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 13.4 minutes per game.
One bettor predicted a huge night for Pritchard in the contest with a four-leg parlay placed with DraftKings Inc DKNG, as shared by BR Betting.
The bettor wagered $50 on Pritchard to get 8 or more assists, two or more rebounds, 9 or more points and rebounds combined and the Celtics to win by 3.5 points or more.
The parlay came with odds of +100,000, or 1,000-to-1, paying out a profit of $50,000 with all four legs hitting.
Related Link: James Harden Traded To Los Angeles Clippers, How Are The NBA Championship Odds Impacted?
What's Next: Parlay bets that combine the outcomes of multiple games or people continue to rise in popularity among bettors given the increased payouts. Parlays also come with increased risks, as all legs of the bet need to successfully hit to pay out.
Pritchard is mostly a role player with the Celtics since being drafted 26th overall in the 2020 NBA Draft by the team.
The point guard signed a four-year, $30 million contract extension prior to the start of the 2023-2024 season.
The Celtics have been the number-two seed for the Eastern Conference in the last two straight NBA seasons, losing in the NBA Finals two years ago and in the Conference Finals last season.
With their perfect 5-0 record, the Celtics are the current favorite to win the 2023-2024 NBA Championship with odds of +360, ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks (+425) and Denver Nuggets (+475).
Betting odds on Pritchard are not currently listed for the Celtics Monday night game, and he will not always be listed with sportsbooks given his bench role.
Photo: Shutterstock
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