5 prop bets to watch during Game 3 of the NBA Finals

Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP

Gambling on the NBA playoffs has been rather monotonous this year. Hopefully, you've been backing the Warriors, as they’ve absolutely walloped the competition in the Western Conference and continued their dominance over the Cavaliers in the first two games of the NBA Finals.

Thankfully, there are plenty of prop bets to keep us entertained and invested, even if the games or series begin to get one-sided.

One nice thing about proposition bets is that they allow you to bet on specific players and performances depending on how you think the game will play out. Rather than betting on one team or another, you can bet on a larger narrative of how you think the game will go — whether one player will have a bad night, or another will step up big.

For example, I am not giving up on LeBron tonight. Despite every sign from the first two games showing the Cavs to be outgunned in this arms race of jump shooters, I have a difficult time doubting the best player I’ve ever seen with my own eyes.

Below are five of the more interesting prop bets for Game 3. All odds are in parentheses, via Bovada at the time of this writing. 

Cavaliers to win the first quarter (-110)*

Back home in Cleveland, LeBron and company are going to want to reassure fans early that they are going to be in this game. The Cavaliers come out hot and hit a few transition shots early, capped by a LeBron dunk that forces an early timeout from the Warriors, and hold on to that lead through the end of the quarter.

*A negative number is how much a person would bet in order to win $100. A positive number is how much a person would win if they bet $100.

1st half total under 116 points (-105)

In the first two games of the Finals the scoring has been absurd. Both games have easily gone over the total, and I’ve seen no evidence as to why tonight should be any different. And yet, if the Cavs are going to pull off the win, they're going to have to slow this game down. Plus, 116 is a ton of points for a half.

Durant scores under 30.5 points (+100)

If this game gets physical, I'm banking on the Warriors backing off and hoping to keep it close with jumpers and avoiding a ton of contact. Ideally after two games the Cavs defense has adjusted to no longer give up free points to Durant. He's got to cool down eventually right?