The NBA has 10 games on the scoreboard this Wednesday, including a nice doubleheader on ESPN. The national coverage starts with an Eastern Conference matchup between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks won by 12 in Cleveland when these two teams met on Saturday, and they have improved to 6-4 after four straight victories. The Cavaliers have dropped four of their last five and are 5-6. Let’s take a closer look at Wednesday’s Eastern Conference Finals rematch and pick a few Cavaliers-Knicks props that make sense to add to your betting card.
For the game, the Knicks are 3.5-point home favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total set at 222.5. At the time of publishing, 83% of moneyline bets are on the Knicks, and 72% are on the Knicks against the spread.
On the injury report, the Cavaliers listed Sam Merrill as out and Jaylon Tyson as questionable. The Knicks listed Karl-Anthony Towns as questionable and Josh Hart as probable.
Cavaliers at Knicks Props at DraftKings Sportsbook
Jarrett Allen over 11.5 Points (-104)
Allen missed the first game between these two teams on Saturday, but he was able to return on Monday when the Cavs visited the Hornets. He only played 19 minutes, but scored 12 points to go with seven rebounds. Not counting the game he left early with his bruised knee, he has reached this point threshold in four straight games and six of his eight games this season.
Allen is averaging 13.1 points in 25 minutes per game so far this season, and he isn’t even on the injury report for Wednesday, which could be an indication that he’s ready to return to his normal workload.
Allen had 19 points against the Knicks in February in his last regular-season matchup against them and reached this threshold in two of the four games in the Eastern Conference Finals. If KAT is out or at less than 100%, Allen will have an even more favorable matchup down low.
OG Anunoby under 18.5 Points (-106)
Anunoby has averaged 16.7 points per game this season and had 15 points in 34 minutes in the first matchup between these teams last Saturday. He got just over this prop line with 19 points on Tuesday night against the Bucks, but the Cavaliers typically play much stouter defense than Milwaukee.
Before reaching 19 points on Tuesday, Anunoby had finished under this line in four straight games. He shot 50% from the field on Tuesday, but that kind of production is likely unsustainable for a second straight contest.
Hart is expected to play after missing the last three games for the Knicks, and his return could limit Anunoby’s usage, unless Towns is out. The uncertainty around KAT’s availability may be what is bumping this prop line up a bit, but taking the under looks like good value given Anunoby’s typical production this season and the potential that this is a more defense-focused contest.
Mikal Bridges 4+ Rebounds (+132)
Bridges could have some extra work to do on the glass on Wednesday, depending on who else is in or out of the rotation, and he has regularly been reaching this threshold over his last few games. He had six rebounds against the Cavs on Saturday and has hit this number in four of his last five contests, with the one exception being the game against the Nets in which he only had to play 16 minutes.
Even on Tuesday, when he only played 17 minutes against the Bucks, Bridges quickly grabbed five boards. Since he played 31 minutes against the Cavs in Cleveland, he’ll likely be much more involved in this more competitive matchup. With more time on the floor, he has a good chance to grab at least four rebounds and deliver the green on this plus-money prop on Wednesday night.
Bonus Parlay Play: Meleek Thomas Over 3.5 Rebounds + Assists (-144)
If you are assembling a Same Game Parlay (SGP), be sure to consider the available 30% NBA Profit Boost on a 3+ leg parlay on an NBA SGP or SGPx on DraftKings Sportsbook. Adding in the over on Thomas’s rebounds plus assists boosts the SGP odds to +850 for the four player prop bets in this post. Adding on the booster can take your winnings even higher!
Thomas has averaged 2.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists in his 23 minutes per game so far this season, and he has gone over this prop line in each of his last three games while filling in for injured teammates. If Tyson is ruled out, he’ll have a clear path to plenty of minutes, but even if Tyson returns, Merrill’s absence should keep him in a large enough role to get to four boards and assists.
