The Cleveland Cavaliers are set to face off with the Miami Heat to headline the eight games of NBA action tipping off. Donovan Mitchell and company continue to exceed expectations and have moved to 51-10 on the season as they prepare to face the Heat tonight. They enter this game on an 11-game winning streak.
It has not been as positive of an outlook for the Miami Heat. They sit in seventh place in the Eastern Conference with a 29-31 record and have dropped seven of their past 11 games. The Jimmy Butler trade saga changed the outlook for their season and injuries have further exposed the concerns on this roster. They continue to be without Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Andrew Wiggins, Nikola Jovic and Kel’el Ware tonight.
The Cavaliers deserve credit for their growth across the board this season, but it is Donovan Mitchell leading the charge. The six-time All-Star is averaging 24.3 points, 4.8 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game. While these are not the best raw stats of his career, Mitchell is shooting a career-best 39.3% from beyond the three-point arc and is above his career average from the field.
The Cavaliers enter this matchup as 12-point favorites and -650 on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Heat hold +470 odds on the Moneyline with the game total set at 222.
With the stage set, here are my favorite Donovan Mitchell prop bets for the Wednesday night matchup.
Best Donovan Mitchell Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Donovan Mitchell’s props are listed at over/under 23.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 3.5 made three-pointers and 32.5 combined points, rebounds and assists.
Donovan Mitchell Over 23.5 Points (-115)
Donovan Mitchell is averaging 24.3 points per game this season and has recorded over 23.5 points in 29 of the 57 games he has played. He has been especially hot as of late, averaging 27.5 points per game across his past 19 matchups. Mitchell enters tonight’s matchup having recorded over 23.5 points in five of his past six games.
The Miami Heat have leaned on their defensive identity for their production in recent years. However, they have fallen short in this category this season. They rank seventh in the NBA in opponent points allowed but 13th in opponent field-goal percentage and 14th in opponent three-point percentage.
This will be the third matchup between these two teams this season. Mitchell was limited to just 12 points in the December matchup, one of the rare Cavaliers’ losses on the season. He bounced back in the second game, dropping 34 points against the Heat.
Cleveland has shifted its focus to competing for a championship and these are the types of matchups it needs to continue proving it belongs. Miami is a stingy, competitive team that will give you a challenge if you let it. With all the praise that Cleveland has rightfully earned, Donovan Mitchell is at the heart of the team’s production. He has played in attack mode as of late so look for him to build off of this by recording over 23.5 points for the eighth time in the past 11 games. There is no clear matchup for him on this Heat team, with Davion Mitchell likely to be the primary defender. Look for Mitchell to take this challenge a bit personally and cruise past 23.5 points tonight.
Donovan Mitchell to Record 30+ Points (+245)
To take it a step further, I like Donovan Mitchell to replicate the 30+ point output he produced the last time these two teams faced off. The Louisville product has tallied 30 or more points in 18 games this season.
Miami’s inability to score has been more of a driving force for its struggles as of late. But it has not fixed the defensive issues that have plagued it since the start of this season. Just this week the Heat gave up 31 points to Jalen Brunson and 36 points to Pascal Siakam.
Mitchell has tallied 30+ points in two of his past four games and he was held to 28 points in 27:46 of game time last night against the Bulls in a game that turned into a blowout. The Cavaliers star is playing with confidence and possesses a level of offensive ability where there is no clear answer for shutting down. Expect Mitchell to be in attack mode from the opening whistle and take a chance on the +245 odds of him reaching 30+ points for the 19th time this season and the second time against the Heat.
