The Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves will face off in a Game 3 matchup tonight, with the series tied at one win each. Buddy Hield and company will travel back to the Bay, but will need to do so without Stephen Curry.
The outlook for the series changed in a major way when Curry limped off the court in the second quarter of Game 1. He was diagnosed with a hamstring strain and will be out through Game 4, when he will be reevaluated. While this is a tough break for the Warriors, it does provide a clear opportunity for players like Hield to step up.
The Timberwolves enter Game 3 as 5.5-point favorites with -218 odds on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Warriors hold +180 odds of getting the outright victory with the game total set at 200.5 points.
With the stage set, here are my favorite Hield prop bets for Game 3.
Best Buddy Hield Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Buddy Hield’s props are listed at over/under 14.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.5 made three-pointers and 21+ combined points, rebounds and assists.
Buddy Hield Over 14.5 Points (-110)
Outside of Nikola Jokic, there may not be a player whose absence is more notable to their team than Curry. Golden State will need to make up for the 24.5 points, 6.0 assists and an NBA-best 4.4 made three-pointers per game that its star provides.
Hield has helped fill these shoes thus far. Through the opening nine playoff games, he is averaging 12.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists while shooting 43.6% from the field and 45.8% from beyond the three-point arc. He dropped 24 points in the series opener and followed this up with 15 points in Game 2. This comes after a regular season in which he averaged 11.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 22.7 minutes per game.
Hield’s usage rate has increased from 18.2% in the series against the Rockets to 24% through the opening two games in this round. He has launched 33 field-goal attempts across the first two games, which is tied with Jimmy Butler for the most on the team.
Expect Hield to continue being a primary part of the offense. He has tallied over 14.5 points in three straight games and five of the nine playoff games overall, even while seeing limited minutes against Houston. Hield has also done so while shooting 36.8% and 35.7% from the field in the past two games. It may not be the most efficient path to getting there, but count on Hield getting plenty of shots and recording over 14.5 points for the fourth straight game.
Buddy Hield Over 3.5 Made Three-Pointers (+124)
When discussing Hield’s offensive outlook, you can’t get far without bringing up his three-point ability. The Oklahoma product already ranks 16th in NBA history in made three-pointers and will be the top option for Golden State from deep tonight. Hield shot 37% from beyond the arc across the regular season, the second-worst percentage of his career, on 6.7 perimeter shots per game. He is attempting 6.6 long-range shots per game in the postseason and connecting on 45.8% of these.
Golden State has built its identity as one of the premier three-point shooting teams throughout the Curry era. Even without their biggest star, don’t expect the style of play to change. Hield was second on the team in three-point attempts per game in the regular season and will rise to the top of the totem pole tonight.
Hield made over 3.5 three-pointers in 24 games in the regular season and in three straight games entering tonight. Across the past three games, he has shot a combined 18-for-28 (64.3%) from beyond the arc. While this high of a percentage is unsustainable, the increased volume should be the bigger story and will carry over tonight. Getting +124 odds is great value based on the circumstances and recent stretch of play. Count on Hield to deliver for the fourth straight game with the Golden State faithful behind him tonight.
