Welcome to our Sleeper NBA DFS prop picks for Friday, May 3. Just a two-game slate Friday as we look to wrap up the last remaining first-round series.
Throughout Orlando’s first real dose of playoff experience, they have played extremely well. Unfortunately, the Cavaliers and their properly anchored defense are a terrible matchup for Orlando’s paint-heavy offense. It’s obvious the Magic can win if they shoot the lights out and keep Cleveland from picking up momentum, but they haven’t proven to be able to do that outside of home games. The Cavaliers like to keep the game slow, forcing Orlando to be efficient, something easier said than done when your back is against the wall.
As for the Mavericks-Clippers series, who knows what could potentially happen each night. As good as Paul George is, shooting 13 times and only scoring 15 points in a playoff loss should not be overlooked. If this is the consistency coming from this team, there’s no reason to even bother betting on players who might not show up in the playoffs. The Clippers are a fun team, but their roster isn’t built for consistency and Dallas has easily been one of the more dominant teams this year. The Mavericks are one game away from the second round and with their first taste of blood, expect them to try and drown out the Clippers with points once again.
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NBA DFS Props - Over/Under Picks for Friday, May 3
Josh Green OVER 3.5 Points
Wednesday, I had hyped up P.J. Washington and he laughed in my face by literally scoring one time. While the idea that Washington is Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving’s third wheel still stands, it’s obvious Washington has a limit. Although Josh Green comes off the bench, he faces similar restrictions, only in his case it’s minutes not usage. Even if Green isn’t needed as a scorer, he locks in defensively and uses hustle plays to find winning ways to contribute.
Despite the minimal minutes, he’s making the most of them and has only failed to shoot in Game 1, where he still finished with four points after hitting four free throws. He’s aggressive on both sides of the ball and his defense propels his offense on most nights. He’s managed to be a nuisance defensively, securing at least one steal or block every game in this series. For someone averaging less than 20 minutes, that’s extremely promising, and his minutes will, at the very least, increase moving forward.
Wendell Carter Jr. UNDER 9.5 Points + Assists
Dealing with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen in the paint is no easy task and no one can really blame Wendell Carter Jr. for not putting up stats. These are two of the best defensive talents in the league and they have proven time and time again why they can be such a daunting duo. Allen and Mobley play well off each other defensively, and their spacing on offense forces opposing teams’ big men to deal with two threats at once. Either they can sit on the perimeter to try and keep up with Mobley or bang shoulders with Allen in the paint.
In both situations, Carter Jr. is likely getting beat, but that doesn’t mean he can afford to let off the gas, defensively. All his effort needs to be geared towards stopping the Cavalier's offense, and before he can deal with the tip of the spear in Donovan Mitchell, he has his hands full switching between Mobley and Allen all game. Carter Jr. hasn’t put up stats this series, but that shouldn’t take away from his effort to mitigate Cleveland’s attack, even if that comes at the expense that he will want to keep resting on offense.
Franz Wagner OVER 4.5 Assists
The projections say to take the under, but the trends are pointing in the direction of an easy over cover. Franz Wagner isn’t at the top of the Magic totem pole, but being the number two on a team that needs offense has its perks. One is increased usage and more chances to be a playmaker. Paolo Banchero is still the go-to, but when Wagner is hitting, Banchero concedes quickly, and rightfully so. Wagner has the skills to be the focal point of an offense and he carried Orlando through their Game 4 win. His scoring will always be his bread and butter, but all season, he’s shown a knack for passing and a clear-cut ability to rack up assists.
He’s already had games with eight and six assists, both coming after Orlando lost Games 1 and 2 and needed to adjust. The offense still runs through Banchero, but Wagner is clearly getting more touches and the green light to play in isolation. Even if Wagner increases his scoring, Cleveland’s defense can and will slow it down and force him to be a passer. The big question here isn’t if Wagner will get the opportunities to get five assists, it’s whether or not the supporting Magic players can finish possessions.
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