We have arrived – it’s officially the best time on the sports calendar. Long gone are the grueling
days of summer that saw way too much money pending on regular-season baseball and the NBA
Summer League. College Football and the NFL are in full swing, the World Series begins this
weekend, the NHL has been back for a couple weeks, and 24 NBA teams kick off their 2023-24
campaign tonight (not to mention college basketball is on the horizon). Sit back, relax, bring that
extra TV into the living room, and take advantage of all the profit boosts being given out like
candy on Halloween.

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A new NBA season brings fresh storylines, renewed hope for delusional fanbases, and a 12-game
slate packed full of player props begging to be included in your “there’s no way this doesn’t hit”
parlay. Here’s my favorite prop for Wednesday, October 25th…we are so back.
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Jrue Holiday Under 7.5 Assists

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The Boston Celtics begin the regular season with a primetime matchup in Madison Square
Garden against the Knicks. The superstar duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown still headline
the roster, but there are a couple new additions sporting the iconic shamrock this year. One of
those additions is 2x All-Star and 2021 NBA Champion Jrue Holiday.

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Holiday immediately adds veteran leadership, playoff experience, and defensive identity to this
Celtics team. The pairing of Holiday and Derrick White forms one of the most intimidating
defensive backcourts in the Association, and the Celtics seem like the team to beat in the Eastern
Conference. While I love the addition of Jrue Holiday, I’ll be looking to fade him on the
offensive end tonight – here’s why.

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The total for this matchup is set at 223 points, which is the fourth-lowest total out of the 12
games tonight. New York ranked 25th in pace and 24th in possessions per game last season.
With their roster still intact and Tom Thibodeau at the helm, the Knicks will do everything
possible to limit Boston’s possessions and avoid a shootout.

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On the other side, the Celtics have no shortage of star power. Jayson Tatum posted a career-high
usage percentage of 32.7% last season, while Jaylen Brown narrowly trailed him at 31.4%. This
is a fancy way of saying that these two guys dominated possessions for the Celtics, and I don’t
anticipate that changing. When the game gets close down the stretch, we’ll see a ton of Tatum
isolations at the elbow while Holiday is spotting up on the wing. Derrick White is also a capable
ball-handler and playmaker, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him initiating some offensive sets
from the top of the key.

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While he will be relied on for defensive stops, Jrue Holiday won’t have to handle the ball every
possession like he did in Milwaukee. Without Giannis Antetokounmpo to run a pick-and-roll
with, I doubt Holiday will reach eight assists in his Celtics debut. With so many mouths to feed
on offense and a slower-paced game in the forecast, I’ll be taking Jrue Holiday Under 7.5
Assists for my first official player prop of the 2023-24 season.

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