The NBA Playoffs are officially here and every series is one game in. The grind for betting the postseason is a long one and we are here to make it easier for you to navigate the tricky board. This season, I am 52-35 for a +14.5% ROI on the season with NBA player props in this article series, and our NBA props handicappers as a whole are on a fantastic 19-5 run. Let’s dive into my 2 favorite NBA player pro p bets for the 3-game playoff slate of Monday, April 22. You can also find out our'NBA picks for each of those matchups.
Gary Harris (ORL) Over 5.5 points (-123)
Line available at Caesars Sportsbook at time of publishing. Recommended 1u wager.
The Orlando Magic are back in the playoffs but they got a rude awakening on the road when the Cleveland Cavaliers started clicking on all cylinders early and Orlando couldn't buy a shot to fall across the roster. In the middle of all of that was Gary Harris, who was in for 33 minutes and held his own defensively but managed zero points. This, however, should be viewed as a buy-low opportunity because the volume was not the issue. Harris went 0-for-6 from the field, including 0-for-five from three. More particularly, per NBA Stats, 4 of Harris' five attempts from deep were classified as open or wide open. This is no coincidence.
In the regular season, the Cavaliers were the 13th-worst spot-up efficiency defense and over the last 12 games (marking the return of Evan Mobley), they allowed the 2nd-most above the break three-point makes, 9th-most corner three-point makes, 3rd-most catch-and-shoot three-point makes, and are below-average defense in the midrange and at the rim as well. The only area of the court where the Cavaliers have been stable and elite is in the paint, due to the size of Mobley and Allen, but that's not Harris' calling anyway.