Best NBA Prop Bets Today for Celtics vs. Cavaliers 3 (How to Bet Jaylen Brown's Player Prop)
By Reed Wallach
The Cleveland Cavaliers pulled a massive upset in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Boston Celtics, but will it hold in Game 3 in Cleveland?
The Cavs benefitted from a monster shooting performance, but when it comes to player props I’m looking elsewhere compared to scoring, fading the likes of Darius Garland and Evan Mobley while buying the natural regression of Jaylen Brown’s stat line.
Here’s my three favorite player props for Saturday’s Game 3 with the series tied at one game a piece.
Best NBA Playoffs Player Props for Celtics vs. Cavaliers Game 3
- Jaylen Brown OVER 2.5 Assists
- Darius Garland UNDER 5.5 Assists
- Evan Mobley UNDER 11.5 Rebounds
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Jaylen Brown OVER 2.5 Assists
Brown has only three total assists through the first two games of this series, but that is overlooking his ball handling duties.
The Celtics wing is third on the team in potential assists at six per game, slightly up from the first round against the Heat. However, Boston’s stable of shooters haven’t cashed in just yet.
After Boston shot just 22% from beyond the arc in Game 2, I believe we see a better offensive showing from the team and Brown is able to contribute as a facilitator, so I’ll go over this now reduced player prop.
Darius Garland UNDER 5.5 Assists
Garland has seen his ball handling duties drop more and more as the postseason has dragged on.
In the regular season, Garland averaged more than 53 passes per game with 12 potential assists to go with more than six assists per game. However, in the postseason, his facilitating continues to dwindle as the Cavs opt to have the ball in Donovan Mitchell’s hands more.
He is down to 41 passes made per game with nine potential assists, averaging just over five per game.
He is under this mark in six of nine postseason games, including both in this series despite playing an average of 35 minutes.
I’ll stick with the trends and go under on Saturday.
Evan Mobley UNDER 11.5 Rebounds
Mobley had the best postseason game of his young career in the Cavaliers upset of the Celtics in Game 2, scoring 21 points to go with 10 rebounds and five assists.
After Cleveland posted a monster rebounding mark, +13 on the glass, I believe we see a more focused effort from Boston to mitigate Mobley’s damage as the likely lone big man starting on Saturday in Game 3 with Jarrett Allen still battling a rib injury.
Despite a great game, Mobley stayed under this number in Game 2 after grabbing 13 misses in Game 1.
In the first round, Mobley was prone to inconsistent efforts, in the two games he grabbed double digit boards, he went under in the following game before grabbing 16 in Game 7.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.