Odds Say Cavaliers’ Darius Garland Will Average 14.5 Points Per Game in 2019-20 Season

• Darius Garland will join Collin Sexton in the Cavaliers’ backcourt
• Garland only played 129 total minutes at Vanderbilt before suffering a season-ending knee injury
• Garland shot 11-of-23 from three-point range in college

The Cleveland Cavaliers took 6’3″ guard Darius Garland out of Vanderbilt with the no. 5 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Garland was arguably the best player available in that spot, and the Cavs snatched him up despite picking a similar player in Collin Sexton a year ago.

The oddsmakers were among the first to weigh in on the selection and have set the over/under on Garland’s scoring average at 14.5 points per game during the rookie season.

Darius Garland 2019-20 Points Per Game Odds

*Odds taken 06/24/19

For a team that badly needs help in all areas, especially shooting the basketball, Garland is a perfect fit in Cleveland. He’s got a limited sample size at Vandy, but when he shot from downtown, he didn’t miss much. He gives the team a better shooter than Sexton, who has the ability to attack the rack more. They both can serve their own purpose offensively, which gives Garland a chance to play alongside Sexton at times.

Darius Garland was just picked #5 and he’s the most shifty player in the NBA Draft. ? pic.twitter.com/uGWirLOqNl

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) June 21, 2019

“When we saw him work out and saw him take 30-footers and just flick them like it was nothing,” Cavs GM Koby Altman said. “It was like, ‘OK, how can this work out?’ We started to get fascinated with the idea of Sexton and Garland playing together.”

Sexton Averaged 16.7 PPG in Rookie Season

If Sexton could put up 16.7 points per game in his rookie year, so can Garland, if he stays healthy of course. Sexton ended up shooting 40% from downtown, which isn’t too shabby at all. Garland can shoot the lights out and he will have plenty of chances to score.

.@ryenarussillo is a fan of @dariusgarland22 ? pic.twitter.com/qlNNbKGUeK

— The Ringer (@ringer) June 21, 2019

This isn’t a packed Cavs team that has a ton of offensive weapons. They have Kevin Love and his 17 PPG, Jordan Clarkson and his 16.8 PPG, Sexton and his 16.7, Cedi Osman and his 13 PPG, and Tristan Thompson and his 10.9 PPG. All five starters averaged in double figures, but their bench didn’t do much of anything.

John Beilein Will Run 2-Guard Front

New Cavs head coach John Beilein is going to run Sexton and Garland out there a lot, which will be a show. Garland is going to see plenty of opportunities to shoot and score all season.

Scoring 14.5 PPG is not as difficult as it used to be. We’re seeing middle-level players do that with ease in the NBA’s new style of play.

Scoring 14.5 PPG is not as difficult as it used to be. We’re seeing middle-level players do that with ease in the NBA’s new style of play. It’s all about the three-ball and Garland shoots plenty of those. Asking him to score 14.5+ PPG isn’t too difficult. If he makes three three-pointers, he’s already at nine. Dropping six more points isn’t crazy.

This kid can end up being an All-Star. You are best off betting the over here in what will be a guard-driven Cavs team.

Best Bet: Over 14.5 PPG (-120)