NBA Playoffs Props for Tonight: 2 Props to Target for Knicks vs. Cavs (4/18)
NBA Playoffs Props for Tonight: 2 Props to Target for Knicks vs. Cavs (4/18)
Like it or not, the NBA is better off when the New York Knicks are participating in playoff basketball. There is palpable energy around their series against the Cleveland Cavaliers after they took a 1-0 lead on the road on Saturday night.
Tonight, they're back in action, and we have a pair of player props from this one for Game 2.
Let's jump into today's picks!
Cavaliers vs. Knicks Game 2 Start Time and Where to Watch
- Date: Tuesday, April 18, 2023
- Game Time: 7:30 pm ET
- Where to Watch: TNT
NBA Props Tonight - Tuesday, April 18
Jalen Brunson Over 24.5 Points (-115) (Bet $115 to Collect $215) Best odds available at BetMGM; click here to bet
Jalen Brunson took over the second half of New York's Game 1 victory in Cleveland. He dropped 21 points in 20 minutes of action during the second half alone after playing just nine first-half minutes due to foul trouble. Overall, he led the Knicks with 27 points, 24 field goal attempts, and a 39.3% usage rate. He should see closer to 40 minutes tonight, which makes this line far too low.
JB put on a clinic late in Game 1, getting to his floater and his step-back. It didn't matter who was in front of him - none of the Cavs' perimeter players can hang with Brunson in isolation. Isaac Okoro began the game on him, and then we saw a lot of Cedi Osman matching up with him late in the game and a bit of Donovan Mitchell and Caris LeVert mixing in here and there. Regardless, Brunson could see 30 shots tonight, as he gives the Knicks' offense the best chance against a Cavs defense that defends the front court at an elite level.
The Villanova product has scored 27.3 points per 36 minutes in five games against Cleveland this season. He logged more than 36 minutes in 29 games this season, dropping 25-plus points in 22 of those 29 games. His 28.2 PPG average in this sample reflects what I think this line should be, so I'll happily take a discounted line due to a lighter load of minutes in Game 1. This guy is unguardable in iso situations, and he'll continue to make the Cavs pay.
Julius Randle Under 24.5 Points (-115) (Bet $115 to Collect $215) Best odds available at BetMGM; click here to bet
Julius Randle started incredibly strong in Game 1, but he finished with just 19 points on 7-of-20 shooting from the field. After carrying the Knicks' offense with Brunson in foul trouble early on, it became a tale of two wildly different halves for the two-time all-star forward.
Randle followed up his 16-point first half with three points (1/7 FG) and four turnovers in the second half. This, unfortunately for the Knicks, is not out of the ordinary in this matchup. Evan Mobley's massive 7-foot frame and 7'4" wingspan are a clear example of what gives Julius the most trouble: length. Randle has remained under this line in five of six career games against Mobley, averaging only 20.8 PPG on 40.2 FG%.
Randle torched Cleveland backup forward Dean Wade when Mobley was off the floor. We'll have to see if coach JB Bickerstaff adjusts his rotation to prevent that from happening again. Jalen Brunson is going to have to shoulder the load for a Knicks offense that ranked top three in the NBA this season. As for Randle, it will be tough for him to truly get going against a Defensive Player of the Year candidate in Mobley.