INJURY ALERT: Butler is expected to return for tonight’s game, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
All signs pointed to doom in Game 3 for Golden State. With Jimmy Butler out after a crushing Game 2 loss, it would need to scrap to retain home-court advantage. And scrap it did. Now, Jimmy Butler seems primed for a return tonight, with a chance to put Houston on the ropes.
It’s hard to say how Butler will look after his return from injury. Though nothing broke, he was described as having intense swelling that limited his mobility. But we’ve seen him compete through bad injuries before. A motivated ‘Playoff Jimmy’ with a chance to take control of a series? Few things could be more dangerous.
The Warriors enter as 3.5-point favorites and -170 on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The total is set at a very low 203 points. Let’s take a look at his best bets for tonight.
Best Jimmy Butler Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Jimmy Butler Under 20.5 Points (-125)
It’s fair to wonder if an active Jimmy will be a fully mobile Jimmy. He may not even be able to play a full share of minutes. On top of that, this is an outstanding Houston defense. Many signs point toward tonight being a scoring struggle.
Perhaps he can get enough juice off Steph Curry’s gravity. Or the three-pointers fall as they tend to in the playoffs. But ultimately, Jimmy’s buckets tend to come off physicality. I’m not one to underestimate his incredible drive to win, but he might give himself a few breaks by settling for jumpers or deferring to teammates.
Jimmy Butler 2+ Steals Recorded (-125)
Butler’s physical limitations are concerning for his offense. Not so much for his defense.
With Houston’s dire spacing, Butler can pack the paint with his fellow Warriors. These Rockets have also had a penchant for coughing up the ball in this series. A combined 40 turnovers over the first three games isn’t devastating, but it’s not great. Butler forced five of those turnovers himself in Game 1. I’d expect him to get back to his thieving ways tonight.
