Griffin Wong previews tonight’s game between the Boston Celtics and the Sacramento Kings with his favorite player prop bets.

This time last year, the Boston Celtics were 24-9 and seemingly had realistic hopes of going becoming the first repeat NBA champions since the 2016-18 Golden State Warriors. Fortunes can change fast in the NBA, though: Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles tendon in the second round of the summer’s playoffs, and the Celtics had to shed salary to such an extent that, despite being third in the East at 20-12, they probably won’t be contenders even if Tatum returns from his injury for the postseason.

Now, Boston will continue its West Coast road trip with a 10 p.m. ET clash against the Sacramento Kings, who 2025 did not treat well. In the last calendar year, the Kings dealt away De’Aaron Fox, saw Domantas Sabonis suffer a major knee injury, and are now without Zach LaVine for good measure.

LaVine and Sabonis will be the only Sacramento players to miss tonight’s game, while Chris Boucher (questionable for personal reasons) is the only Celtics player on the injury report for the Celtics besides Tatum.

Boston is a 9.5-point favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook (-410 on the Moneyline), with the point total set at 229.5. The Kings are +320 on the Moneyline. Below, I’ve detailed my three favorite prop bets for tonight’s inter-conference battle.

Jaylen Brown 10+ 1st Quarter Points (+108)

Brown’s nine-game streak of 30-plus-point games came to an end in the Celtics’ 129-119 victory over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday, as he opted to be more of a facilitator, dishing out 10 assists and finishing with only 23 points. All in all, though, the Jazz game should be seen as an aberration, and Brown should be a good bet to start a new 30-point streak tonight. He has tended to set the tone early in games, ranking second in first-quarter usage rate behind only Luka Dončić. He scored double-digit points in the first quarter thrice in his last 10 games and scored nine points an additional two times.

I won’t touch his full-game props, given that this game could easily be a lopsided result, but he should be able to get one additional first-quarter point against one of the league’s worst defenses in Sacramento. Across the last nine games, in which LaVine played just 16 minutes before suffering an ankle sprain, the Kings have allowed the league’s fourth-most points and have had its worst net rating. Plus, with LaVine — Brown’s most frequent defender last season — out, Keon Ellis will probably get the primary assignment tonight, and last season, Brown scored 10 points on five-for-seven shooting in 16.9 partial possessions against Ellis.

Russell Westbrook 2+ Three-Pointers Made (-141)

After being one of the last notable free agents to sign in the offseason, Westbrook has rehabilitated his image in California’s capital. Since LaVine’s injury, he’s been an integral piece of the team’s offense, averaging 16.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game. The improved jumper that he began to demonstrate late last season has persisted, as he’s shooting a career-high 36.0% from beyond the arc while attempting the third-most of his career. He’s made at least two triples in four of his last five games, including 14 across a three-game stretch last week, his most since he made 15 across three games in February 2019.

Plus, while Boston has a great defense, it tends to be beatable from beyond the arc. This season, the Celtics have allowed the eighth-most three-point attempts, including an above-average number of wide-open attempts and the 10th-most catch-and-shoot tries. Boston has prioritized rim deterrence, allowing the fewest shots in the restricted area, and if Westbrook can’t get downhill, he’ll have to settle for threes. He made at least two triples in each of his games against the Celtics last season.

Anfernee Simons 1+ Steal (-122)

During his seven seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, Simons wasn’t exactly known as a defensive ace, but he’s started to get more attention on that side of the ball now that he’s in Boston. In fact, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla recently praised his defensive intensity, and though he’s no Jrue Holiday — the man he was acquired to replace — he is improving on that end of the floor. By defensive RAPM, a composite metric, this has been the second-best defensive season of his career, and he’s averaging his second-most steals per 100 possessions. Simons has recorded a swipe in three of his last five games.

It’s hardly surprising for a young, inexperienced, and Westbrook-led team, but since LaVine got injured, the Kings have allowed the fourth-most steals per game. Westbrook has coughed up at least three turnovers in seven of his last eight games, and Dennis Schröder has done so thrice. As Boston’s primary backup point guard, Simons should spend plenty of time guarding those two players. Last season, in the 14 partial possessions in which he guarded Westbrook, Simons forced a turnover, and he also forced one against Malik Monk in 32.8 partial possessions.