Steph Curry’s injury absence for the Golden State Warriors has me targeting a pair of his teammates on Monday’s prop market.
The pregame narrative: Buddy Hield and Jonathan Kuminga have both stepped up and stuffed the stat sheet in Curry’s absence. Can they do it again and try to help the Warriors even their second-round series?
Check out my NBA prop bets for Monday, May 12, which also include a prediction on Derrick White.
NBA prop bets
Best Bet: White over 16.5 points (-118)
After blowing a 20-point lead in back-to-back games, everything finally came together — and didn’t fall apart — for the Boston Celtics in Game 3.
But amid all the turbulence of this second-round series, White has been a rock. He’s the guy I trust most for Boston right now, and this points prop should remain well within his reach.
- White is 6-2 against this line in the postseason, averaging 17.8 PPG.
- Aside from the Celtics’ 31-point win to close out their first-round series, White has seen an impressively steady diet of scoring opportunities. Excluding that blowout win, the guard has attempted 6+ threes and 10+ shots in all seven games.
If we exclude the closeout win against Orlando, White’s 2025 postseason averages look like this:
- 38.7 minutes
- 19.8 PPG
- 14.6 FGA
- 9.9 3PA
It’s obviously convenient for me to wipe his worst game from the record, but keep in mind that the Knicks are expected to play much tighter games against the Celtics than the Magic could.
And close games mean more opportunities for White.
After averaging a career-high 16.4 PPG during the regular season, White has carried his productivity forward into the most important time of year.
The Knicks have seen plenty of strong performances from White already, and I’ll bet they get another one in Game 4.
Key stat: In seven games against the Knicks this season, White is 6-1 against this line while averaging 18.6 PPG.
Best NBA picks
Hield over 13.5 points (-130): Hield has spent most of his nine-year NBA career out of the spotlight, as a 3-point specialist more than anything else.
He has never been an all-star, but with Curry (hamstring) currently sidelined for the Warriors, Hield will have to play at an all-star-calibre clip to keep Golden State in contention.
- Hield has cleared this line in four straight games, thanks in large part to 22-of-36 (61.1%) shooting from 3-point range.
- In 14 games without Curry this season, Hield is 9-5 against this line and averaging 13.9 PPG.
Coming off four straight games with 11-plus shots and eight-plus attempted 3s, I’m buying in on Hield’s volume with the shorthanded Warriors.
Kuminga over 22.5 points/rebounds (-118): Welcome back to the lineup, Kuminga.
Trade rumours swirled earlier this postseason for Kuminga, who sat out four of Golden State’s first eight games despite being healthy.
With Curry injured, the Warriors had no choice but to see what Kuminga could offer with some extended run.
In Games 2 and 3, he totalled 48 points on 65.5% shooting and added 11 rebounds. Just as importantly, Kuminga played 25-plus minutes in both games.
Without Curry this season, the 6-foot-8 forward averaged 20.3 PPG and 4.4 rebounds in 12 matchups.
Kuminga provides more bounce as a rebounder than Draymond Green, and he’s a confident enough scorer to create his own shot consistently.
To me, the upside is high for a player who has new life in what might be his last chance to convince Golden State brass to keep him.
NBA prop picks made at 4:36 p.m. ET on 05/11/2025.
Jordan enjoys writing data-driven game previews and analysis articles — especially for MLB markets or NFL/NBA props. And as a proud Ohio University grad, he’ll always have a soft spot for college sports (especially if the Bobcats are involved). Previous stops include mlb.com, Sportsnet and The Athletic.