NBA Finals 2022 Game 1 Steph Curry Player Props: Lukewarm Curry
Steph Curry is favored to win his first NBA Finals MVP this June, but he'll have to get past Marcus Smart and the Celtics' hellacious D to accomplish the feat. Discover why we expect Steph to struggle at times in Game 1.
It might be time for Steph Curry to build a bigger mantle. The Golden State Warriors guard brought home a shiny new prize on May 26 when he became the inaugural recipient of the Magic Johnson Trophy as the most valuable player of the Western Conference Finals, leading his team back to the NBA Finals. It was just the latest plaudit for the eight-time All-Star, who has also won two regular-season MVP awards, one All-Star Game MVP award, and a pair of scoring championships.
Curry will begin his pursuit for another, more valuable trophy on Thursday, when the Warriors host the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Finals. It’s Steph’s sixth trip to the league’s championship round in eight years, and his +110 NBA Finals MVP odds are the shortest of any player who will grace the court.
Golden State is favored to win Game 1 — and the series — in large part due to Curry, as the 34-year-old continues to break the backs of rival defenses with his limitless range and unparalleled shotmaking.
We’ve examined Thursday night’s matchup closely, and have the three best free NBA picks, based on Steph Curry props, for Game 1 below.
NBA Finals 2022 Steph Curry player props for June 2
Curry Under 27.5 points
Curry Under 3.5 threes
Curry Over 5.5 assists
Picks made on 6/01/2022 at 10:00 a.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.
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Steph Curry Game 1 player props
The odds widgets below represent the best odds currently available for each betting market at regulated sportsbooks.
That Smarts
The last time Curry faced the Celtics was on March 16, and it’s safe to say it did not go well for the three-time NBA champion. Curry was held to just three points and left the game late in the second quarter when Marcus Smart made a lunging play for the ball and landed hard on his leg. Curry limped off the court and would miss the next 12 contests as he recovered from a sprained ligament in his left foot.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr called it a dirty play, but the reality is that it was the kind of hyper-aggressive, ball-to-the-wall effort that Smart specializes in. The 2022 Defensive Player of the Year is a relentless ballhawk who tirelessly hounds rival guards to the point of submission. It helps explain why Curry was so ineffective in the 13-plus minutes he played on March 16, and why he also shot just 8-for-21 in his previous outing against Boston on December 17.
Smart had a similar effect on the Heat in the Eastern Conference semifinals, limiting Kyle Lowry to 9.4 points per game, and Gabe Vincent to 8.7. Overall, Smart and the Celtics held opposing point guards to 22.2 points per game during the regular season, the eighth-stingiest mark in the league. Expect the same kind of ruthless intensity on Thursday as Boston forces Curry into another subpar shooting night.
Pick: Under 27.5 points (-105)
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