For the second straight day, the NBA features seven games on the scoreboard this Wednesday. The ESPN doubleheader tips off with the Cleveland Cavaliers visiting the Philadelphia 76ers in a fun Eastern Conference matchup at 7:00 p.m. EST. Let’s break down that matchup and pick out a few player prop bets to focus on.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, the Sixers are slim 1.5-point home favorites with the point total set at 236.5.
The Cavs split a home-and-home set with the Timberwolves before slipping up Monday at home against the Jazz, falling to 22-19 on the season. They’ve slid to the No. 7 spot in the conference while the Sixers have climbed to No. 5 at 22-16 after splitting a pair of games in Toronto to start this week. Philly is 6-2 in its last eight games and has a little more momentum, especially since both of those losses were one-point defeats in overtime.
The teams meet again on Friday in Philly and then one more time in March. The Cavs won the first meeting between these two squads 132-121 back on November 5. Let’s take a look at this rematch and find a few player prop bets that make sense for Wednesday night’s contest.
Cavaliers vs. 76ers Best Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Donovan Mitchell over 38.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-115)
Mitchell only had 26 PRA (points, rebounds and assists) in the Cavs’ disappointing loss to his former team, the Jazz. He had 21 points on 7-of-18 shooting but only had three rebounds and two assists.
He had at least 39 PRA in five straight games before that, though, and in six of his last eight as well. He’s averaging 29.5 points, 5.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds for 39.7 PRA per game on the season.
Spida had 58 PRA in the first matchup between these teams, although he was having to carry more of the offense at that point. Mitchell had 46 points, eight assists and four rebounds in that matchup, and he has gone over this prop line in four of his last six games against Philadelphia.
Evan Mobley under 8.5 rebounds (+101)
Mobley had nine rebounds to go just over this prop line on Monday against the Jazz, but that seems to have been an outlier game for the Cavs in many ways. Before that, he had eight rebounds or fewer in four straight games and in six of his previous eight.
Mobley is averaging 8.6 rebounds per game on the season and 8.3 rebounds in road games, but many of those games came without Jarrett Allen next to him in the frontcourt. With Allen and Mobley both healthy, Allen has been doing most of the work on the glass, posting double-digit rebounds in six straight games before only getting four boards on Monday.
With Joel Embiid (knee) listed as probable, both bigs will likely get all the work they can handle. I expect Allen to do most of the rebounding work, pushing Mobley back under this prop line.
VJ Edgecombe over 4.5 assists (-117)
Embiid is joined by Paul George (knee), Kelly Oubre Jr. (illness) and Edgecome (adductor), who are all probable for the matchup with the Cavs.
The rookie has impressed all season, and Edgecombe has been picking up more assists over the last few weeks. On the season, he is averaging 4.4 assists per game, but he has been able to go over this prop line in four of his last five games.
He has at least four assists in 10 of his last 13 games, and as the unit improves and settles into a steady rotation around him, he should continue to have opportunities to dish dimes. He had four assists in the first meeting between these teams, but his recent trend would seem to indicate he has a good chance to go over this prop.
Bonus Parlay Pick: Sam Merrill over 11.5 points (-121)
Merrill is averaging 14.3 points per game in his 23 games this season, and he has scored at least 14 points in each of his last six games (four starts, two games off the bench). Merrill missed a month with a hand injury, but now that he seems back to full strength, he should be able to score at least 12 points in this matchup whether he starts or plays in the second unit.
If you’re looking to use these props to create a Same Game Parlay (SGP) or as part of an SPGx, adding in the over on Merrill’s points takes you to an even +1000, as you can see below.
