The Knicks and Cavaliers' opening-round series always seemed like it had potential to be a great one, and so far through two games, it has not let us down. New York stole Game 1 in Cleveland 101-97, only to be punched back by the scrappy Cavs 107-90 in Game 2. Our eyes will be glued to this evening's Madison Square Garden showdown (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC), so we decided to play some player prop over/unders on SuperDraft to heighten our stake in what should be an exciting Eastern Conference battle.
Our strategy with picking our four prop selections was to follow the storylines from Game 2 and the bigger-picture narratives from the regular season. On SuperDraft, if all four of our over/under wagers hit, we will see a 10X return on the amount we bet. If we were to combine just two props, we would win 3X the amount we wager. Much like a "Same Game Parlay," the more legs we add, the more risk we take on and the higher our potential payout becomes.
MORE KNICKS-CAVALIERS: Betting Preview
Below, we'll break down four of our favorite player props available on SuperDraft for Friday's Knicks-Cavaliers Eastern Conference playoff matchup.
Best NBA prop bets today: SuperDraft player prop picks for Knicks-Cavaliers Game 3
* Entry - Four picks (10X)*
1. Darius Garland, G, Cavaliers — OVER 22.5 points
Garland was a cheat code in Game 2, finishing with 32 points, seven assists, and three boards. He shot 8-of-17 from the floor (47.1 percent), 6-of-10 from three-point land, and 10-of-11 from the line. With Garland playing this level of confident, assertive offense, Cleveland will be difficult for any team in the East to beat. Expect J.B. Bickerstaff to ride his 23-year-old star again tonight, with Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson incapable of slowing down the quicker and hot-shooting Garland. DG averaged at least 21.6 ppg in each of the past two regular seasons, so him reaching 25 two games in a row against below-average perimeter defense seems like a solid prop. We also like Garland's OVER on the 32.5 points + assists + rebounds prop. What can we say? OVER bettors just have more fun!
2. Donovan Mitchell, G, Cavaliers — OVER 6 assists
Mitchell has made quite the name for himself as a postseason scorer, averaging 28.6 points throughout his playoff career, but Spida's drastically improved playmaking ability has taken center stage through the first two games of this series. His eight assists in Game 1 were impressive, but his 13 dimes in Game 2 were eye-popping. We think this trend can continue, especially with the Cavs coming off a 17-point victory with Mitchell as the leading set-up man. Our projections have Mitchell finishing with 31 points, eight assists, and four rebounds in another standout playoff performance for the ages.
3. Mitchell Robinson, C, Knicks — UNDER 9 rebounds
Robinson rendered himself close to useless as a starter in Game 2, just flat-out getting owned by the Cavs' Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau ended up playing the center just 21 minutes, opting instead for Isaiah Hartenstein as a more capable scorer and more confident offensive board crasher. Even if the two come closer to even playing time, we like our odds of seeing Mitchell fail to pull down nine rebounds. Similarly, we also like Hartenstein's odds of besting his over/under of six boards. Hell, in Game 2 Hartenstein had as many offensive rebounds (5) as Robinson had total rebounds. The postseason is all about playing the guys who give your team the best chance to win, and Thibodeau has never been afraid to make a bold move under the brightest of lights.
4. Evan Mobley, F, Cavaliers — OVER 10 rebounds
Second-year stud Mobley has not just distinguished himself as one of the best young defenders in the game, but he's also low-key one of the 20 best rebounders in the Association. He has proven that without a doubt through the first two games of this series, ripping down 11 boards in Game 1 and 13 in Game 2. Some may shy away from Mobley's OVER here, fearing that twin tower Jarrett Allen might vulture a bunch of rebounds or Robinson, Hartenstein, and Julius Randle will make things difficult for him down low, but Randle is giving up four inches on Mobley, and Mobley stands to benefit from Allen battling the two Knicks centers in the trenches. We're riding the hot board-man until he gives us a reason to shy away.
FRIDAY NIGHT BONUS PROP: RJ Barrett, F, Knicks — OVER 16.5 points
Barrett always gets his shots up -- he averaged over 16 field goal attempts per game this season and over 17 per game last year — but he doesn't always see a ton go through the bucket. In fact, he finished last season and this season with exactly seven makes from the floor per game. Not great, Bob! But hey, persistence pays off, and Barrett has proven himself to be an "every-third-game" type of scorer. His 2-of-12 effort in Game 1 and 4-of-13 showing in Game 2 have driven his over/under numbers way down, and now we need just 17 points out of him to get a checkmark. Considering he averaged 19.6 points per game this season and reached 17-plus points in 11 of New York's final 16 regular-season games, we're going with the somewhat-volatile OVER here and backing Barrett to bounce back (alliteration for the close!).
