ZT details his best player prop bets on DraftKings Sportsbook for Monday night’s matchup between the Cavaliers and the Spurs.
Monday night’s massive 11-game schedule includes some intriguing matchups, and in one of the most exciting games, the Cavaliers will head to Texas to take on the surging Spurs in the first game of NBC/Peacock’s doubleheader. Both sides of this matchup have plenty of fascinating players to consider, so let’s dive into the matchup and snag a few of the best player prop bets from DraftKings Sportsbook.
In the bigger picture of the matchup, the Spurs are 3.5-point home favorites, while the game total is set at an elevated 243.5 points. The Cavs won the first matchup between these teams this season, which was Dec. 5 in Cleveland, 130-117.
The Spurs have been rolling since then, though, going 8-2 in their 10 games since with their two losses coming in the NBA Cup Championship and their most recent game on Saturday, when they were upset by the Utah Jazz. The Cavaliers, on the other hand, have trended in the other direction, going 3-6 since beating the Spurs and sliding to 17-16 on the season with their loss on Saturday to the Rockets.
The Spurs seem to be on the rise, and they’ll look to avenge their loss to the Cavs on Monday night in what should be a great showcase matchup. If you’re planning on watching or following the game, check out these player props as my strongest plays of the day.
Cavaliers at Spurs Best Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Sam Merrill over 15.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-120)
Merrill missed just over a month with a hand sprain, but he has rejoined the Cavs’ lineup and been very productive. He came off the bench in his first game back and had only 10 PRA (points, rebounds and assists), but in his three games since stepping back in the lineup, he had 35, 17 and 19 PRA, going over this prop line in each matchup.
Merrill is averaging 13.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 18.8 PRA per game on the season but seems to have found a good rhythm back in the Cavs’ starting five. He has at least 17 PRA in 11 of his last 15 games not counting his first game back when his minutes were limited.
The Spurs typically get into back-and-forth, up-tempo games and Merrill’s scoring upside makes him a good play to go over his PRA prop line on Monday night. If you want to be more aggressive, I like his 20+ PRA line at +206 as a strong plus-money play as well.
Stephon Castle under 12.5 Rebounds + Assists (-137)
I’m a huge Castle fan and love what he brings to the Spurs’ lineup. However, this rebounds and assists line seems to be too high for him in this matchup against the Cavs.
Castle has come in under this prop line in seven of his last 10 games, including each of his last three contests. De’Aaron Fox (adductor) is questionable, but even with him sidelined on Saturday, Castle came in under this number.
Since Wemby has returned to the rotation and Fox has been more active, Castle has played a more limited role in rebounds and assists. In his last six games since Wemby and Fox have been back, he’s averaging only 9.5 rebounds plus assists, so I think he’ll come in under this elevated total with or without Fox on Monday.
Dylan Harper over 7.5 Rebounds + Assists (-133)
Part of the reason Castle’s rebounds and assists have been down a little is that Harper’s rebounds and assists have been trending up. The rookie had 12 assists and seven rebounds on Saturday while playing 27 minutes in Fox’s absence.
Even when Fox has been available, though, Harper has been more involved off the bench. He had at least seven rebounds and assists in three of his five games before his big performance on Saturday and is averaging 5.0 assists and 3.8 rebounds (8.8 rebounds and assists) over his last 11 games.
In his first matchup against the Cavs, Harper had four rebounds and six assists to go over this prop line even though he shot a woeful 1-for-11 from the field. The No. 2 overall pick should shoot better on Saturday and I think he’ll go over this number of rebounds and assists with or without Fox available.
Bonus Parlay Pick: Victor Wembanyama under 3.5 assists (-158)
Wemby has dished out three assists or fewer in each of his last five games and in seven of his eight games since returning from injury. While he definitely is very involved in the offense, he’s taking more shots than he’s assisting right now, and until he gets fully back to speed, the under should be a strong play for this prop.
If you’re looking to use these props to create a Same Game Parlay (SGP) or as part of an SGPx, adding in the under on Wemby’s dimes takes your SGP to +650, as you can see below.
