The top and bottom of the Eastern Conference will meet Friday night, as the 21-4 Cleveland Cavaliers will face the 3-19 Washington Wizards. This year, Washington’s opponents would be a historically good team; the Wizards are being outscored by 15.4 points per 100 possessions, two points worse than the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls’ record 13.4 net rating. This year’s Cavaliers are merely run-of-the-mill brilliant, with a 9.7 net rating, but it still doesn’t bode well for Washington.
Nobody is better-suited to take advantage of the Wizards’ ineptitude than Cleveland shooting guard Donovan Mitchell, one of the most dangerous scorers in the league. After a blockbuster trade in the 2022 offseason brought him over from Utah, he has endeared himself to Cavaliers fans on and off the court. This season, he’s averaging 23.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game and shooting a career-best 41.1% from deep.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, the Cavaliers are 17-point favorites, with the point total set at 232.5. Below, I’ve highlighted my favorite prop bets centered around Spida.
Best Donovan Mitchell Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Donovan Mitchell U25.5 Points (-115)
If the Wizards were even a little bit better, Mitchell would have plenty of opportunities to light up the box score and pepper Washington’s basket with shot attempts. But, unfortunately for Mitchell, the Wizards are truly inept. Not only has Washington lost 17 of its last 18 games, the contests haven’t even been close; just one of the Wizards’ losses this season has even come by a single-digit margin.
Without Kyle Kuzma, Corey Kispert, and Malcolm Brogdon — three of Washington’s more reliable players — this game might get out of hand quickly. Mitchell has logged under 30 minutes just six times this season, and two of them came in blowout wins over the Wizards. In the team’s first matchup, a 135-116 Cavaliers win on October 26, Mitchell checked out of the game for good with six minutes, 19 seconds remaining. Unless Washington guard Jordan Poole goes off like he did in a surprise win over the Denver Nuggets on December 7, I expect Mitchell to spend a lot of his night on the bench.
Donovan Mitchell O4.5 Rebounds (-110)
Amidst their terrible season, the Wizards have particularly struggled to keep opposing players off the boards. Washington’s primary big, second overall pick Alex Sarr, has shown the typical attention lapses that one might expect from such a raw rookie. As a result, the Wizards concede 48.0 rebounds per game, the most of any team in the league, and their 47.8% rebounding percentage is the fifth-lowest figure in the league.
Mitchell is a pretty good rebounder for his six-foot-three stature, thanks to his top-tier athleticism, and his 8.2% rebounding percentage is a career-high. He has snagged at least five boards in four of his past six games and in both of his previous matchups against Washington so far this season.
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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook, lines and odds subject to change.
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