Best NBA Prop Bets Today (Predictions for Donovan Mitchell, OG Anunoby, Cavs Big Man)

Game 1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers-New York Knicks Eastern Conference Finals wasn’t short on drama, as New York erased a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit to win in overtime.

Usually an overtime game can throw a wrench in some player props – especially if you have an UNDER bet – but that wasn’t the case for the plays I gave out here at SI Betting.

In Game 1, two of the three plays that I shared in this column cashed. James Harden fell short of his point total – finishing with just 15 points – while Jalen Brunson had a big first quarter to cash his scoring prop.

OG Anunoby (only one made 3-pointer) was the only player to come up short, and he’s back in the mix in these picks for Game 2.

Plus, I’m eyeing Cavs star Donovan Mitchell to have a big game after he looked like the best player on the floor in the first three quarters of Game 1.

Here’s a look at the odds and my breakdown of each of these prop picks for Thursday’s Eastern Conference Finals matchup.

Best NBA Prop Bets for Cavs vs. Knicks Game 2

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

OG Anunoby UNDER 2.5 3-Pointers Made (-172)

Anunoby returned to the lineup in Game 1 after missing the end of the second round series with the Philadelphia 76ers, and he didn’t exactly look comfortable until overtime when he made some nice drives to the basket.

The star forward entered Game 1 shooting over 50 percent from 3-point range in the playoffs, but he was just 1-of-6 from beyond the arc and threw up a couple of airballs in the process.

The Knicks clearly were managing Anunoby’s workload until overtime, a sign that he may not be feeling 100 percent in this series.

So, with this prop moving from 1.5 to 2.5 ahead of Game 2, I’m going to take the UNDER. This postseason, Anunoby has multiple 3s in eight of his nine games, but he’s averaging just 5.0 attempts per game.

That gives him a pretty low ceiling when it comes to this prop, and I didn’t love what I saw from him from deep in Game 1.

Donovan Mitchell OVER 27.5 Points (-108)

Mitchell finished with 29 points in Game 1, and he did most of his damage in the first three quarters of the game.

There’s no doubt that the Cavs need to run even more offense through the star guard, and that comes after a 23-shot workload in Game 1.

Mitchell is averaging 25.9 points per game during this playoff run, but his usage is way up. He’s taking 21.5 shots per game, which should give him a pretty solid floor against New York in this series.

On top of that Mitchell has at least 27 points in four of his last five games against the Knicks – not including Game 1 of this series. I think he’s worth a shot in Game 2, especially since he responded in a big way to losses against Detroit, dropping 31, 35 and 26 points.

Evan Mobley OVER 27.5 Points, Rebounds and Assists (-105)

Earlier today, I shared in my NBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points – why Mobley is a solid prop target in Game 2:

Cavs big man Evan Mobley was the best big on the floor in Game 1, finishing with 15 points, 14 rebounds and three assists.

He’s now picked up 28 or more PRA in four of his last five playoff games, averaging 18.0 points, 9.6 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game over that stretch. The rebounding has really been consistent for Mobley in the playoffs, as he’s picked up at least eight boards in 10 of his 15 games.

The Knicks had some issues dealing with Mobley and Jarrett Allen on the glass, especially when they decided to blitz Donovan Mitchell and James Harden in the pick-and-roll. Mobley also played over 46 minutes in the overtime loss, a sign that he’s clearly the preferred option when Kenny Atkinson goes to one big in this series.

After easily clearing this line in Game 1, I think Mobley is worth a look in Game 2. He’s trending up after taking the most shots (16) he has in a playoff game this season.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

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