NBA Player Props Today: Cavaliers vs. Knicks Game 2

The NBA Eastern Conference Finals showdown between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks sets course for Game 2 today, and I have my best player prop picks for the matchup ready to go.

Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points in the first meeting of the series, but the Cavaliers became just the second team in NBA playoff history to lose a game that they led by 22 points in the fourth quarter.

Jalen Brunson inspired the comeback, dropping 38 points to give his team the all-important series advantage. With Game 2 back in Madison Square Garden, all of the pressure is on the Cavaliers to steal a game on the road after showing they could play with the Knicks for the first three quarters of Game 1, as falling into a 2-0 hole would cause their NBA Eastern Conference odds to plummet.

Here are my best Cavaliers vs. Knicks player prop picks and bets for Game 2 today on Thursday, May 21.

Best NBA Player Prop Bets for Thursday, May 21

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Jalen Brunson Over 27.5 Points (-108) at FanDuel Sportsbook

Brunson was the engine that powered the Knicks’ historic revival and eventual victory in Game 1, shooting 51.7 percent from the field. He has now hit the over in six of 11 games in the playoffs, although two of his unders were in blowouts in which he probably could’ve hit the over if he stayed on the court for his usual minutes.

The Cavaliers have a huge problem on defense with James Harden, who was repeatedly targeted and allowed 1.9 points per possession down the stretch of the series’ opening gambit. Brunson is more than capable of exploiting the Cavs’ poor perimeter defense, and he should take a ton of shots every time he’s on the court.

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Evan Mobley Under 15.5 Points (-130) at FanDuel Sportsbook

Mobley isn’t refined enough on the offensive end to consistently wade into the painted area against the length and activity of the Knicks. That should be evident from him taking eight threes, his most of the entire playoffs, in Game 1.

Mobley only scored 15 points on 37.5 percent shooting in 40 minutes in the first encounter of the series. He also went under in two of three regular-season matchups with the Knicks, with the only over coming in the Cavs’ season-opener on Oct. 22.

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James Harden Over 2.5 Threes (+124) at FanDuel Sportsbook

Fading Harden is a very easy approach, given his history of playoff shortcomings, and that he had yet another game with more turnovers than field goals made in Game 1. He only went 1-8 from downtown to start the series, but in a strange way, that makes me even more fond of this line.

Harden doesn’t have the burst to get past players such as Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby, so he will be relegated to mostly playing on the perimeter. Eight three-point attempts are enough to consistently put him in range of hitting the over, and for this value — and considering he went over in eight of 15 playoff games — I’m willing to take the risks associated with needing Harden to step up in the postseason.

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Karl-Anthony Towns Under 4.5 Assists (+110) at FanDuel Sportsbook

There’s been a strange trend with Towns in the playoffs, as he went from averaging 3.0 assists per game during the regular season to 6.5 per game in the postseason. That includes dishing out five dimes in Game 1 and hitting the over in eight straight games and three times reaching double-digits.

While the recent trend is in Towns’ favor, it’s also worth noting that he’s consistently found himself in foul trouble and likely won’t play 40 minutes again, assuming Game 2 doesn’t also go into overtime. The Cavaliers aren’t great at limiting their opponents’ assists, but they play teams fairly straight-up and should have players in position to defend whenever Towns kicks the rock to a teammate.

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Mikal Bridges Under 1.5 Threes (-120) at FanDuel Sportsbook

Bridges went 2-4 from deep in Game 1, although one of his makes was on a shot he would never have taken if he wasn’t forced to put the ball in the air at the end of the shot clock. He’s also still gone under this line in six of 11 games in the playoffs, attempting just 3.1 threes per game during that time.

The Cavaliers allowed their opponents to make a high 36.9 percent of their threes in the playoffs, yet they also allowed just 11.1 threes per game, the fewest of all remaining teams. Bridges is not a high-volume shooter and should mostly stay out of the way.

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