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The Cleveland Cavaliers went down 0-2 to the Detroit Pistons on the road in the conference semifinals before winning Games 3 and 4 at home and ultimately stealing the series in seven.
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Cleveland will look to repeat that pattern in the Eastern Conference Finals, and my Knicks vs. Cavaliers props dig into the best value plays for this pivotal contest, giving you my best NBA picks for Saturday, May 23.
It’s all part of our full Knicks vs. Cavaliers predictions for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, so let’s dive in.
Best Knicks vs Cavaliers props for Game 3
|
Player |
Pick |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Mikal Bridges |
Over 13.5 points |
-105 |
|
Donovan Mitchell |
Over 2.5 threes |
-155 |
|
Evan Mobley |
Over 3.5 assists |
+105 |
Game 3 Prop #1: Mikal Bridges Over 13.5 points
-105 at bet365
The Cleveland Cavaliers strategy to ignore Josh Hart backfired in Game 2, as Hart went off for 26 points. After that outburst, Hart will see more defensive attention, leading to less pressure on Bridges.
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Over his last seven games, 31.9% of Mikal Bridges’ shot attempts have been “open,” with defenders 4-6 feet away, and 15.9% have been “wide open,” with defenders 6+ feet away.
Bridges is shooting a blistering 68.3% on 11.7 shots per game in that span, yet he could see even more open looks. I’m willing to bet this one up to 15.5.
Game 3 Prop #2: Donovan Mitchell Over 2.5 threes
-155 at bet365
The New York Knicks interior defense has ceded just 40.2 paint points across the team’s nine-game win streak. As a result, opponents have focused on outside shots and attempted the fourth-most three-pointers (37.1).
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Donovan Mitchell is just 11-of-38 from deep over his last five games, but nearly a third of those shots were “open” or “wide open.”
Shot quality has been favorable, and Mitchell has shot 36.8% from deep at home compared to 27.5% on the road this postseason. Mitchell can improve when he returns to Rocket Arena, and I’ll climb the ladder to 3.5 triples.
Game 3 Prop #3: Evan Mobley Over 3.5 assists
+105 at bet365
Among centers averaging at least 30 minutes in the playoffs, Evan Mobley ranks fifth in assist percentage (25.4) and seventh in usage (18.8).
Cleveland has struggled to move the ball, assisting on just 57.8% of made baskets, but Mobley has consistently gotten teammates involved with four dimes per tilt.
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Cleveland is 6-3 when the big man dishes 4+, and Cleveland’s offense averaged 8.1 more points in those contests.
This is a favorable line that I’ll bet up to 4.5, as Cleveland should emphasize ball movement to get better looks against New York’s stiff defense.
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