Cavaliers vs. Bucks Recap: Watson and Rollins Assist Props Cash

The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Milwaukee Bucks 136-111 on the road. The game turned in the second quarter, when Cleveland outscored Milwaukee 48-21 to take a 72-46 lead into the half. The Cavaliers shot 52-100 from the field and 20-46 from three, piled up 41 assists and 60 points in the paint, and won the boards 56-45. Their largest lead was 36. Three DARIMARKET plays cashed on this game: two on Peyton Watson and one on Ryan Rollins, all driven by assists.

What cashed

Peyton Watson 2+ assists (-194 at FanDuel): CASHED - Our read: Watson had cleared 2+ assists in 9 of his last 10 games and 18 of his last 20. The -194 price implied about 66%, while his recent games pointed closer to 85%. - What happened: Watson started and dished 6 assists in 22 minutes, clearing the 1.5 line by 4.5. He finished with 5 points, 2 rebounds, 2 blocks and was +11. - Worth watching: This was the widest margin of our three cashes. A low assist line on a starter in an offense that moves the ball this much is the kind of price-versus-history gap we look for.

Peyton Watson 7+ rebounds + assists (-110 at FanDuel): CASHED - Our read: Watson had cleared 7+ rebounds + assists in 9 of his last 10 and 15 of his last 20. At -110 the book implied about 52%, against roughly 78% from recent games. - What happened: His 2 rebounds and 6 assists added up to 8, clearing the 6.5 line by 1.5. The assists carried it on a night his rebounding was light. - Worth watching: He got there in only 22 minutes because Cleveland was up big. Combo props like this give two ways to get home, which helps when one stat runs cold.

Ryan Rollins 4+ assists (-273 at DraftKings): CASHED - Our read: Rollins had 4+ assists in 8 of his last 10 and 4 of 5 this season, and FanDuel was even shorter at -340. - What happened: Rollins led Milwaukee with 7 assists in 26 minutes, clearing the 3.5 line by 3.5. He added 9 points on 4-11 shooting and 3 rebounds, and was the only Bucks starter with a positive plus-minus at +4. - Worth watching: He cashed even with his team trailing by a lot, a sign his assist role holds up even when Milwaukee falls behind. The price is steep, so this is a line we would only want near our read of his hit rate.

How the game played out

Cleveland's bigs did the damage inside. Evan Mobley scored 27 on 11-16 shooting, and Jarrett Allen had 25 points on 12-16 with 11 rebounds. James Harden added 13 points and 7 assists, and Mario Hezonja grabbed 11 rebounds off the bench. For Milwaukee, Kel'el Ware had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and the Bucks shot 41-100 overall and 17-51 from three. Cleveland pushed the lead to 109-76 after three quarters.

Trends to watch

• Watson played 22 minutes in a 25-point win and still reached 6 assists. If Cleveland plays a tighter game, more minutes would add room on both of his assist-driven props.
• Cleveland's 41 assists on 52 made baskets show how much this offense shares the ball. Assist props for Cavaliers starters are worth checking when the price is fair.
• Rollins played 26 minutes and handled the ball as Milwaukee's top passer. His assist floor looks steady, but the price is the main thing to watch.

Stats are from the ESPN box score. For more on reading prices, see implied probability and the player prop guide, or head to the NBA hub.