There’s a lot of action elsewhere in the sports world tonight, but the NBA rarely sleeps. There’s action all throughout the day with early tip-offs and a handful of games still taking place in the evening, including a meeting between the Miami Heat and Golden State Warriors at 10 p.m. EST. Jimmy Butler and the Dubs ride a three-game winning streak as they take on his former team, bringing a little bit of extra juice to this matchup in terms of drama.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Golden State is a -5.5 favorite with -218 odds to win on the Moneyline. The game total is set at 238.5 combined points.
Here are the top Heat vs. Warriors prop bets on DraftKings Sportsbook for Monday’s nightcap.
Best Heat vs. Warriors player prop bets
Jimmy Butler 25+ points (+171)
This is admittedly something of a vibes-based pick, but sometimes it’s fun to play the storylines. When it comes to revenge games, that rings especially true. Jimmy Butler has only faced the Heat once since the trade that sent him from Miami to Golden State last season, posting 11 points, six rebounds and two assists in 29 minutes. That was far from a standout performance, but the 36-year-old forward gets another shot at retribution tonight. After posting 30 and 32 points in two of his three most recent games, the veteran has made the most of a heavier shot diet when opponents sell out to stop Steph Curry. Butler averages 20.1 PPG this season and is his team’s second-leading scorer, albeit on just 12.2 shot attempts per game. With the chance to stick it to his former franchise, a slight bump in opportunities isn’t out of the question.
The Heat play at the NBA’s fastest pace and are 22nd in opponent PPG allowed. They also rank bottom-10 in PPG allowed to forwards as well, which does bode well for Butler. The safer pick is over 21.5 points tonight at -110 value, though he’s only crossed that mark in 10 contests this season. Still, he could very well come out looking to make a statement and has shown a higher ceiling than usual in recent outings, so if you’re willing to take on some extra risk, this is a fun play to consider given the environment.
Kel’el Ware over 7.5 rebounds (+102)
The pace Miami plays with will help the outlook for shot attempts and rebounds tonight, but that’s not the only reason to feel bullish about taking a prop play on the glass. The Heat have a couple of very talented big men in Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware. That combination of size and talent should prove quite valuable against a Warriors lineup that lags behind the rest of the league in rebounding with a starting lineup that typically includes Draymond Green and Quinten Post in the frontcourt.
While Ware may come off the bench as he has for the last few games, he does get slotted into the starting lineup sometimes and remains an integral piece of the rotation with 23.9 minutes a night. The second-year big man averages 11.5 points and 9.9 rebounds, the latter of which is actually a team-high for the Heat. At seven feet tall, Ware has the size and tenacity to dominate the glass tonight against a Golden State group that comes in at 21st in rebounds per game and 18th in overall REB%. This is clearly a matchup to take advantage of, with the biggest question simply which Miami big man to take. With Adebayo’s line set at 10.5 boards though, I’d rather target the over on Ware’s 7.5 and still get similar value at plus odds here.
