Keagan Smith details his best player prop bets on DraftKings Sportsbook for Friday’s game between the Pelicans and Clippers.
The final game on the NBA schedule this Wednesday night is a Western Conference matchup between the New Orleans Pelicans and Los Angeles Clippers. The injury report sees Kevon Looney (knee) sidelined for the former with rookie Yanic Konan Niederhauser (ankle) out for the latter. On DraftKings Sportsbook, the Clippers are -10.5 favorites with -535 odds on the Moneyline while the Pelicans are listed at +400.
Here are a couple of the best Pelicans vs. Clippers prop bets on DraftKings Sportsbook for Friday night’s contest.
Best Pelicans vs. Clippers Player Prop Bets
Ivica Zubac 11+ rebounds (-117)
Rebound props are some of my favorite options on most betting cards, and tonight is no exception. Ivica Zubac hasn’t yet matched last season’s production of 12.6 rebounds per game as he currently averages just 8.0. In his four appearances, Zubac pulled down 13, eight, five, and seven boards. However, he’s played 27 or fewer minutes in three games, limiting some of that production so far. Tonight should change that.
The Pelicans are one of the worst rebounding teams in the NBA, ranking 24th in the category as well as dead-last in opponent rebounds allowed with 52.0. They’re 28th in REB% but are just 0.7 percentage points away from last place, so even the slow pace of these two teams probably won’t prevent Zubac from bringing in the boards. The seven-footer weighs in at 240 pounds and is among the most formidable physical presences in the Association, so Zion Williamson and Yves Missi may struggle on the glass against him. This is also pick to consider playing as a ladder for increased odds with +136 on 12+ rebounds and +216 on 13+.
Kawhi Leonard 24+ points (-114)
Sticking with the Clippers here, Kawhi Leonard looks like a very solid bet to record at least 24 points in tonight’s game. Through his first four appearances, the star forward averages 21.3 PPG while shooting 47.1% from the field and 36.8% from three-point range, and the volume supports his status as the lead option in this offense — he took at least 17 shots in three of four games with 21 attempts in two of those.
The matchup is a very positive one as well. The Pelicans fall 23rd in opponent points per game with 123.0 while allowing the fourth-highest shooting percentage from the field. Trey Murphy and Herb Jones are standout defenders, but the rest of the rotation certainly is not. Leonard should see a full workload here and take advantage of a soft defense to record 24+ points for the third time on the year after doing so twice in four games already.
