3 Best NBA Bets and Player Props for Thunder at Cavaliers

Even within a single NBA game, betting markets are abundant.

You can bet traditional markets like the spread or the total, but we've also got tons of player-prop markets to sift through.

Which bets stand out today as the Oklahoma City Thunder face the Cleveland Cavaliers?

Let's dig into the best bets in FanDuel Sportsbook's NBA betting odds, utilizing FanDuel Research's NBA projections to try to find value.

Thunder at Cavaliers Betting Picks

Cavaliers -2.5 (-106)

Cleveland and Oklahoma City have been the top two teams in the league to this point, so picking either side of this 2.5-point spread isn't going to feel great. The Thunder have won 15 in a row coming in while the Cavs have a 10-game winning streak of their own.

But something has to give, so I'm inclined to back Cleveland at home, where they're a league-best 18-1 thus far.

The Cavs have been slightly better against the spread (25-10) compared to the Thunder (24-10-1), but Cleveland's home prowess should give them the edge. They have a league-best +13.7 net rating at home, and we've already seen them take down the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets in Cleveland.

Oklahoma City does have the league's best net rating on the road (+10.7), but they've been vulnerable against the league's elites away from home. Of OKC's three away losses, two of them came against the top two teams (by net rating) on their road schedule.

It doesn't help that the Thunder have played five straight home games coming into tonight. With both sides fresh off two days of rest, I'll trust Cleveland's home success to continue and back them to cover the spread in the process.

Donovan Mitchell Over 22.5 Points (-108)

Though Donovan Mitchell's scoring average (23.3 points per game) and usage rate (29.8%) are the lowest since his rookie season, he's hardly having a down year. Mitchell's effective field goal percentage (eFG%) is up to 56.3% -- the second-highest mark of his career -- and his 26.7 points per 36 minutes is right in line with last year's number (27.1).

He's just playing fewer minutes than ever before -- a byproduct of Cleveland's +11.5 net rating and league-leading 31-4 record. That's been especially prevalent late in games as Mitchell is averaging just 7.4 fourth quarter minutes per game. Last season, he averaged 8.6 fourth quarter minutes per game.

Mitchell's still been highly effective when the Cavaliers get pushback. He's cracked 32 minutes in 17 of 34 games this season and is averaging 26.7 points in such outings. In those 17 games, Mitchell has scored at least 23 points 12 times. As such, we can look for him to go over 22.5 points tonight.

With this game showing such a tight spread, we can expect Cleveland's leading scorer to play big minutes. Though it's fair to be concerned that'll be offset by OKC's top-rated defense, it's not like Mitchell has struggled to score against the league's stingiest opponents. In five games against top-10 defenses (by defensive rating), Mitchell is averaging 25.2 points per game. He went for 35 points in two of those.

He's found similar success against teams that like to get up and down, averaging 25.2 points against teams in the top 10 for pace. The Thunder rank 9th in pace.

We can't forget what happened the last time the Thunder visited Cleveland, either. In Mitchell's lone home date with OKC last season, he scored 43 points on 27 shot attempts.

That puts him in a nice spot to go over 23.5 points, and his propensity for blow-up games against top competition certainly puts some of his alternate markets on the table. Donovan Mitchell to record 30+ points carries +380 odds on FanDuel Sportsbook. He's reached that mark in 8 of 34 games thus far but did so at a 33% clip last season.

Isaiah Hartenstein to Record a Double Double (-120)

Isaiah Hartenstein has been a revelation for Oklahoma City with Chet Holmgren missing an extended period of time. Across 18 games, Hartenstein has averaged 12.6 points and 12.2 rebounds, recording a double-double in 72% of games. Even in a tough matchup with Cleveland's stout interior, Hartenstein is in another nice spot to record a double-double.

Now, the Cavaliers do sport a top-six defense, and they're top 10 for fewest points allowed to the center position. But we're not asking for too much on the offensive end for Hartenstein to reach 10 points. He's cracked double-digit points in all but four games this season and boasts a points prop of 12.5 in tonight's game.

He's actually been more involved against elite defenses, too. In eight games against top-10 defenses, the OKC big man is averaging 14.3 points and 11.0 rebounds per game. He's recorded a double-double in five of those eight outings.

Cleveland is a team you can rebound against, as well. The Cavaliers are middle of the pack in rebounds allowed to centers, and they're just 18th in total rebound rate. But Cleveland also plays at a fast pace, resulting in them surrendering the 14th-most rebounds per game overall.

While Hartenstein has gone three straight games without recording a double-double, he had notched a double-double in eight of his previous 10 games prior to the past three. In what figures to be a tight contest, I like the big man to get back on track against Cleveland tonight.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.