Alex Hunter details his best NBA player prop bets on DraftKings Sportsbook for Tuesday’s game between the Lakers and the Clippers.
The Lakers are hosting the Clippers on Tuesday. On DraftKings Sportsbook, the Lakers are favored by 6.5 points and this game carries a total of 228.5 points.
Below, I dive into three of my favorite player prop bets for Tuesday’s matchup between the Lakers and the Clippers on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Best Lakers vs. Clippers Player Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Kawhi Leonard O 20.5 Points (-121)
Leonard (knee) made his return from a 10-game absence Sunday vs. the Cavaliers and he scored 20 points in just 26 minutes of work. Leonard has only played in five games this season, but he has been efficient in those contests, averaging 23.7 PPG while shooting 50% from the field and 43% on three-pointers. His usage has remained elite at 28.9% and Leonard has scored at least 27 points in three of his five starts.
In his second game back from the absence, Leonard should see around 30 minutes tonight or possibly more, given the Clippers don’t play again until Friday. The Lakers are a plus spot for small forwards, as they are giving up the second-most points to the position this season, and Leonard is an awesome bet to score over 20.5 points in this matchup.
LeBron James O 7.5 Assists (+113)
James just made his season debut last week and while he has only played in two games, both of which came against the Jazz, he was terrific as a playmaker in those contests, posting 12 and eight assists. James is leading the Lakers with 16.0 potential assists per game, which ranks fourth in the NBA this season.
Now, James is at home and facing a Clippers defense that has been a mess this season, ranking 25th in rating. The Clippers do rank second-to-last in pace, which isn’t ideal, but James exceeding 7.5 assists is still very possible on his home floor tonight and he is worth backing for this over at this plus-money price.
Marcus Smart U 6.5 Points (-123)
With James back for the Lakers, Smart has moved back to the bench and is playing a small role. In these first two games of the season with James active, Smart has only scored five and six points, and he hasn’t logged more than 17 minutes in either of these tilts. Plus, his usage has been at a low 13.4%, which ranks eighth for the Lakers in these games and is a notable drop from Smart’s 16.3% average for the season.
Smart appears to be the player whose role will suffer the most with James back in the picture and 6.5 points is just too high of a line for Smart tonight, especially with the veteran shooting a career-worst 24% from beyond the arc this season.