Washington Wizards vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Prediction: Can Donovan Mitchell Start Fast for Cavaliers?

The Wizards and the Cavaliers kick off Wednesday's NBA slate. Can Donovan Mitchell start fast for Cavaliers tonight? Josh Gayle answers.

Josh Gayle - January 3, 2024, 1:57 PM EST

3 min

Washington Wizards vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Prediction: Can Donovan Mitchell Start Fast for Cavaliers?

I found something sneaky for the Washington Wizards vs. Cleveland Cavaliers game.

Wizards vs. Cavaliers Date, Time, and Where to Watch

Date: January 3, 2024
Game Time: 7:00 pm ET
Where to Watch: NBA League Pass

Washington Wizards vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Pick

1u - Donovan Mitchell o7.5 1Q PTS (-105) Click here to see which sportsbook as the best odds

This is a sneaky find. Usually when we take these first quarter props I like guys who will play 9+ minutes and thats what we have here. Unless Donovan Mitchell sees foul trouble he should likely see nine to ten minutes and needs to get us eight points. Washington is a team I love to target but the blowout risk scares me so we pivoted to just the first quarter.

Washington Wizards vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Prediction

Mitchell has 8+ first quarter points in five of his last six games and the team should continue to heavily rely on him as Evan Mobley and Darius Garland remain out. Mitchell is now playing the point guard for Cleveland and the Wizards allow the tenth most points to the position.

Mitchell has hit this in five of his last six against Washington and actually averages 11 points per first quarter in that span. Mitchell has a points prop north of 30 which I like significantly less because there’s no guarantee he is playing closing minutes in this one. Let's hope being crafty pays off and let's roll!

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