Wednesday NBA Prop Plays: Fats picks Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, Rudy Gobert, Kevin Huerter, Nicolas Batum

110-3 yesterday. The NBA Playoffs are really starting to piss me off. I can deal with losing bets. I'm a good loser because if you bet a lot you have a lot of practice. What I can't deal with is the lack of transparent information available for making a wager.

James Harden goes from out to questionable to playing 40+ minutes all in the same day. Now it's clear harden wasn't really ready to play – he shot 1-10 from the field, 0-8 from three, had only 8 assists and played the type of defense usually played by a man holding a red cape. That said, the Bucks – shame on them – didn't try to capitalize on his lack of mobility. Kudos to Kevin Durant and Jeff Green for going OFF.

But that's a comment on the game. The issue with Harden going 40 when no one except maybe James and Steve Nash knew if he was going to play, is that it makes it impossible to get a sense of Bruce Brown and Mike James.

James had averaged 20+ minutes a game in the first four games of the series (with Kyrie Irving playing) so with Irving out and Harden likely out or hampered, it was not unreasonable to believe that James would get similar minutes or more in Game 5. Except Harden played 45. FORTY-FIVE!

James played 3 minutes. Brown, who'd been averaging 26 minutes against the Bucks, played 13, in large part due to Uncle Jeff going bananas from deep, and Joe Harris just kept missing (2-11, 1-7). Ack!!!

And now Kawhi Leonard is out. Who'll get his minutes? Who'll step? With Ty Lue, it's anyone's guess.

May just watch US Olympic Trials tonight: Maybe there's money to be made betting on swimming.

Wednesday Playoff Picks

Two games, five plays.

All wagers and returns based on $10. Please check game time lineups before wagering.

Hawks at SIXERS, 7:35 pm EDT, Clippers at JAZZ, 10:05 pm.

3-pointers: Ben Simmons (Sixers) triple-double +800 (returns $90.00) Simmons is getting skewered for a game in which he went 11-12-9 and was one assist from a triple-double. I think he'll come out with a little more energy tonight.

2-pointers: Tobias Harris (Sixers) Over 21.5 points AND Sixers win +140 (returns $24.00) If the Sixers win, I expect Harris to have another solid game.

Free throws: Rudy Gobert (Jazz) double-double AND Jazz win -106 (returns $19.50) The Jazz know they have to get him more involved in the offense, so the success off this wager is solely on them.

Steals: Kevin Huerter (Hawks) Over 11.5 points -113 (returns $18.90) Huerter has played well in the games in Philadelphia, averaging 17.5 ppg.

Nicholas Batum (Clippers) Over 9.5 points -113 (returns $18.90) Batum has been averaging 9 ppg in the series with Kawhi taking 20 shots per game. Someone has to take those shots.

Tuesday Results

Winners:

None

Losers:

3-pointers: Joe Harris (Nets) to score more points than Jrue Holiday +210 (returns $31.00) Harris lost the battle 19-5. The Nets won the game.

2-pointers: Mike James (Nets) Over 14.5 points, rebounds, assists +120 (returns $22.00) Ha! James would have needed to play the most productive 3 minutes in basketball history.

Bruce Brown (Nets) Over 19.5 points, rebounds, assists +100 (returns $20.00) Not even in arena.

Cancelled:

None

Playoffs:

$30 wagered (0-3), $0 returned

Day 25: -$30.00

Total: +$16.80 (57-82 off 139 $10 wagers)

Play-ins:

Total: -$44.60 (4-10 off 14 $10 wagers)

Regular Season:

Total: +20.65 (252-326 off 578 $10 wagers)