The Cavaliers are visiting the Knicks for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday. Fresh off an epic comeback in Game 1, the Knicks are 5.5-point home favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the game total set at 215.5 points.
Let’s dive into my favorite Evan Mobley player prop for Thursday’s contest.
Best Evan Mobley prop bet on DraftKings Sportsbook
Evan Mobley Under 16.5 Points (-128)
Mobley hasn’t done much damage as a scorer against the Knicks this season. Despite playing 40 minutes in Tuesday’s overtime loss, Mobley finished with only 15 points on 6-for-16 shooting — the third time in four matchups that Mobley has fallen short of 16.5 points.
The outlier was a 22-point showing in October’s regular-season opener, when James Harden wasn’t a member of the Cavaliers. Moreover, New York’s defense has improved substantially since then, ranking second in defensive rating during these playoffs.
Another concern is the Knicks potentially running away with a blowout win on Thursday. New York has all the momentum after its Game 1 comeback, making the squad’s eighth-straight victory. Four of these wins have come by 29 or more points, and New York leads the NBA in net rating this postseason; Cleveland ranks sixth. The Knicks coasting to another dominant win wouldn’t be surprising, but it would limit Mobley’s playing time. All in all, several factors are working against Mobley, and backing him to fall under his point total appears to be a smart move.
