The dust continues to settle following the most hectic NBA trade deadline of all time. Jimmy Butler was one of the cornerstone moves of the deadline and is attempting to settle in with his new teammates as he suits up for his second game with the Golden State Warriors tonight.
Butler made his Warriors debut on Saturday against the Bulls finishing with 25 points, four assists, two rebounds, a steal, and a block in his 29 minutes of play. He will look to build off this as the Warriors face off with the Milwaukee Bucks tonight. Butler will provide some much-needed relief as another offensive source while the Warriors attempt to climb out of their 11th-place hole to make some playoff noise.
Milwaukee is dealing with some injuries in this matchup. Giannis Antetokounmpo will remain out while Damian Lillard is listed as questionable with a hamstring injury. This will also be the second night of a back-to-back for the Bucks after they defeated the Philadelphia 76ers yesterday.
The Warriors enter this game as seven-point favorites and -270 on the Moneyline. The Bucks hold +220 odds on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The game total is set at 230.5.
With the stage set, here are my favorite Jimmy Butler prop bets ahead of the Monday night matchup.
Best Jimmy Butler Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Butler’s props are listed at over/under 20.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 0.5 made three-pointers and 30.5 combined points, rebounds and assists.
Jimmy Butler Under 0.5 Made Three-Pointers (+105)
There is plenty that Jimmy Butler is bringing to this Golden State Warriors basketball team but perimeter shooting is far from the top of the list. The 35-year-old is averaging just 1.4 three-point attempts this season and shot 0-for-1 from beyond the three-point arc in his debut. He has been held without a made three-pointer in 15 of the 26 games he has played this season including five games without a three-point attempt.
While Golden State is more dependent on the three-point production than the Heat, Butler’s disinterest in perimeter shooting has been a theme as his career has progressed. He did not make a three-pointer in 20 of the 60 games he played last year and in 37 of the 64 games the season prior. With Butler on his best behavior and surrounded by better shooters than himself, look for him to continue to defer and make his offensive impact inside the three-point arc. In addition, Milwaukee has defended the three-point line well this season. They rank tenth in opponents’ three-point percentage.
Getting +105 odds for Butler to fail to record a made three-pointer is great value for this game. Expect his level of impact to be clear, but for his scoring production to be. driven by attacking the rim and getting to the free-throw line while Curry and the other impact shooters primarily operate on the perimeter.
Jimmy Butler Over 30.5 Combined Points, Rebounds, & Assists (-120)
While Jimmy Butler still certainly falls under the umbrella of an NBA star, his styles of play and production are different from most that fit this criteria. At his best Butler is a gritty defender who impacts the game in a variety of ways. He is still plenty capable of getting red hot and scoring 31+ in his own right, but the six-time All-Star also can take over the game as a playmaker, on the boards, or just on the defensive end.
His 25-point performance in his debut was an impressive start, and he finished with exactly 31 combined points, rebounds, and assists. Especially without Antetokounmpo on the floor for Milwaukee, I like Butler’s chances of making an impact on the boards and for him to start to become more comfortable as a playmaker. During the first half of the season with the Heat, Butler added 5.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game.
The level of impact Jimmy Butler can bring is largely dependent on his individual motivation level and for the first time this season, he has his long-term future established. Expect this to translate to some high levels of basketball production. Taking a shot on the +160 odds for Butler to record 35+ combined points, rebounds, and assists also has my eye but for the sake of this article, we will stick to over 30.5. Even amid his unhappiness, Butler has eclipsed this number in 11 of the 26 games he has played this season. Expect him to take another step in his comfortability with his new teammates and record over 30.5 combined points, rebounds, and assists for the 12th time this year and second straight game with the Warriors.
