Sam Merrill and the Cleveland Cavaliers open the NBA playoffs on Saturday against the Toronto Raptors, and the betting market has set his points prop at 9.5. Merrill goes into Game 1 after scoring six points in a 122-116 win over the Hawks on April 8.
The guard’s regular-season line was steadier than that last outing suggested. Merrill averaged 12.8 points per game, along with 2.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.1 blocks, numbers that show how often he stayed involved even when the scoring came and went.
Toronto enters the series allowing 111.8 points per contest, a figure that ranks ninth in the league in points allowed. That defensive profile matters on a day when every early possession carries more weight, because Game 1 usually tells you whether a role player’s scoring can travel with the game plan.
The harder question for Cleveland is whether Merrill’s regular-season output is the better guide than his six-point finish against Atlanta. If he lands near his average, the Cavaliers get another reliable scoring option in a series where margins are expected to be tight from the start.