Cavs vs. Heat Game 2 player prop bets
Looking at some of FanDuel’s best prop bets for Saturday.
The Cleveland Cavaliers will look to extend their 2-0 series lead as they take on the Miami Heat in Game 3 on Saturday afternoon. Our friends at FanDuel are offering player prop bets for all playoff games.
My picks didn’t do well on Wednesday. I went 1-4 with my only winner being Evan Mobley over 4.5 first-quarter points. I’ll try to bounce back with better selections this time around!
Max Strus over 10.5 points and assists -112
Strus’s playmaking has been incredibly valuable this season for the Cavs. That has translated to the playoffs where he had six helpers last game. His playmaking will be even more important on Saturday if Darius Garland is unable to play.
Miami will be able to change their defensive game plan on Donovan Mitchell if Garland can’t play. You’d expect them to trap him out of some of the screens he’s done with Strus. That would leave Strus on his own to either set up his teammates or have open looks of his own.
Evan Mobley to record a double-double +100
Mobley hasn’t gotten a double-double this series due to his rebounding. He’s only grabbed a combined 13 boards in the first two playoff games. You’d expect that to change at some point.
Rebounding has been a point of emphasis for head coach Kenny Atkinson after their first two wins. You’d hope that message would get through to his players at some point.
Additionally, Mobley has registered a double-double in more than half of his games this season. So, the law of averages would suggest that he’s due.
Donovan Mitchell 3+ steals +430
Atkinson has done a good job of keeping Mitchell’s minutes relatively low through the first two playoff games. I would expect that to change on Saturday. Game 3s are incredibly tough for the team up 2-0. The trailing home team always throws their best punch as they know their season is basically on the line. The Cavs will need Mitchell on the court as much as possible if they’re going to survive that punch.
More playing time means there’s more of an opportunity for counting stats. Mitchell has been an active defender this series. He registered four steals in Game 1 and an additional steal in Game 2.
Three or more steals is a lot. So if you wanted to do a slightly safer bet, maybe 2+ steals at +138 would still provide a decent return on your investment.
Jarrett Allen first basket +900
This is a long shot. First basket plays are tough to hit on. But the Cavs typically do run the first play for Allen. They did so last game, but he missed a layup that would’ve been the first basket of the game.
The value here is really good if you’re looking for a more risky play. You could also opt for Allen being the Cavs' first basket scorer at +480 if you want to be a little safer, but still have good odds.
Make sure to head to FanDuel to check out bets for today’s slate of NBA games and throughout the playoffs.