For the second straight game this week, the Cleveland Cavaliers are in Philadelphia taking on the 76ers as the first game of the ESPN doubleheader. On Wednesday, the Cavs won 133-107, but many of these back-to-back sets have yielded widely divergent results, so we won’t read too much into that lopsided result. This Eastern Conference matchup tips off at 7:00 p.m. ET, so let’s break down that matchup and pick out a few player prop bets to build around.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, the Sixers are slim 2.5-point home favorites, with the point total set at 232.5.
Before winning on Wednesday, the Cavs split a home-and-home set with the Timberwolves and lost a strange game to the Jazz. They’re 23-19 and currently sit as the No. 7 spot in the conference, while the Sixers are 22-17 as the No. 5 team in the conference. The Cavs are now 2-0 against Philly this season, and after this contest, the teams will meet again in Cleveland one more time in March.
Let’s take a look at this rematch and find a few player prop bets that make sense for Friday night’s contest.
Cavaliers vs. 76ers Best Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Donovan Mitchell over 41.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-112)
Mitchell posted 35 points, nine assists and seven rebounds for 51 PRA (points, rebounds and assists). While he only had 26 PRA in Monday’s loss to Utah, he had at least 39 PRA in five straight games before that.
On the season, he’s averaging exactly 40 PRA per contest, and he should be set up to go over that average in this rematch, since he’ll be carrying more of the offensive workload with Darius Garland (toe) ruled out. Garland left midway through Wednesday’s game, which was one of the reasons why Spida took on so much work late.
Mitchell is averaging 29.5 points, 5.4 assists and 3.6 rebounds for 38.5 PRA in his 14 games without Garland this season, and his usage rate increases from 31.6% with Garland on the floor to 33.8% with Garland off the floor. In addition to Garland’s absence, Sam Merrill (hand) will be sidelined, potentially opening up even more shots for Mitchell.
This is a big number to get to, making it a higher risk option, but since Spida had 58 and 51 PRA in his first two games against the Sixers, it’s definitely a good chance that he gets to at least 42 PRA in this rematch.
Craig Porter Jr. over 11.5 Points + Rebounds (-128)
Without Merrill and Garland, Porter Jr. should also be in store for an expanded role on Friday. He’s only gone over this prop line twice in his seven games this month, but once was when Merrill sat against the Nuggets and once was when Mitchell rested against the Pacers. Porter had 10 points and five rebounds against Denver, and eight points and nine rebounds (along with nine assists) against Indiana.
When he has gotten the chance to play over 20 minutes, Porter has shown he can contribute solid numbers. He has played 15 games without Garland this season, averaging 7.2 points and 3.5 rebounds. Merrill also missed six of those games and without his two teammates, Porter produced 6.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per contest.
With more work available, Porter is worth streaming in many formats, and this prop comes at a good price, since he should have the chance to do more work on the glass and the scoreboard on Friday.
Joel Embiid under 12.5 Rebounds + Assists (-126)
Embiid is probable for this matchup, just like he was for Wednesday’s game. He ended up playing 25 minutes in that matchup and finished with 20 points, four rebounds and three assists. With just seven rebounds and assists, the Cavs interior defense kept him in check, but this pick is based more on his long-term form than that single result.
While he has looked more like himself lately, Embiid has been held under this prop line in eight of his last 10 games and 17 of his last 20 (85%).
The Sixers’ star can fill up the box score when he’s at his best, but the team is still being very cautious with his minutes. Even when he goes off this season, it has been mostly in points and not as much in rebounds and assists. He can have a big game and help the Sixers bounce back and still finish under this prop, especially since the Cavs interior defense is so solid overall.
Bonus Parlay Pick: Kelly Oubre Jr. under 9.5 points (-105)
Oubre Jr. was also probable on Wednesday as a late addition due to illness. With Paul George, Quentin Grimes, V.J. Edgecombe, and Trendon Watford all healthy and in the mix at forward, Oubre’s role seems to be more limited since his return from injury on Jan. 7. He has come in under this prop in four of his five games since returning with seven points or fewer in each of those games, including seven points in 26 minutes Wednesday.
If you’re looking to use these props to create a Same Game Parlay (SGP) or as part of an SPGx, adding in the under on Oubre’s points takes you to an even +1000, as you can see below.
