The final matchup of today’s NBA slate will take place between the Los Angeles Clippers and Chicago Bulls. Zach LaVine and company will remain on the West Coast and this will be the second night of a back-to-back for both teams in this game.
The Clippers will be riding high after defeating the Lakers last night in the first-ever matchup between the two taking place at the Intuit Dome. They have exceeded expectations on the season and hold a 24-17 record which keeps them in fifth place in the Western Conference. Kawhi Leonard has battled injury issues for most of the season and will not be playing tonight after playing a season-high 24:17 of game time last night.
Things have not been as promising for the Chicago Bulls this season. They hold a record of 18-25 on the season and are in 10th place in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls are just 3-7 in their last 10 games and will be looking to snap a five-game losing streak tonight. Zach LaVine has had a bit of a bounceback season and is averaging 23.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.6 assists across his 34.0 minutes per game.
The Clippers enter this game as 6.5-point favorites and -250 on the Moneyline. The Bulls hold +205 odds on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The game total is set at 227.5.
Here are my favorite LaVine prop bets for the Monday night matchup.
Best Zach LaVine Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
LaVine’s props are listed at over/under 24.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.5 made three-pointers and 32.5 combined points, rebounds and assists.
Zach LaVine Under 2.5 Made Three-Pointers (-105)
Zach LaVine is having a career year from beyond the three-point arc and is connecting on 45.1% of his three-point attempts while launching 7.7 long-range shots per game. He has connected with over 2.5 three-pointers in 23 of the 38 games he has played this season.
However, the two-time All-Star has slowed down of late. He enters this game having been held under 2.5 made three-pointers in three consecutive games including scoring 27 points last night.
This also is a difficult matchup for LaVine. The Clippers have embraced a more defensive-minded approach this season and had some great success. They rank third in opponents’ points allowed, 14th in three-point attempts allowed, and third in opponents’ three-point percentage. This will be the first matchup between these two teams this season, but the Clippers did not allow over 2.5 three-pointers to any member of the Lakers last night.
Expect the perimeter defense to be bothersome and for LaVine to continue coming down to earth for his three-point percentage. In his career, he has shot 38.7% from beyond the arc on 5.9 three-point attempts. Look for him to remain under 2.5 made three-pointers tonight with Derrick Jones Jr and Kris Dunn making their impact felt.
Zach LaVine Over 4.5 Rebounds (+105)
While rebounding will never top the list when thinking of the best basketball qualities regarding Zach LaVine, he is more than competent in this area. The UCLA product is averaging 4.9 rebounds per game this season, just shy of the 5.2 he produced last year. He has recorded over 4.5 rebounds in 21 of the 38 games he has played including logging three games with 10+ rebounds.
LaVine enters this game having recorded over 4.5 rebounds in five of the past six games and is averaging 5.7 rebounds per game in the month of January.
Los Angeles is a strong rebounding team that ranks 14th in team rebounds but the fourth-fewest opponents rebounds allowed. They also allow the fourth-fewest offensive rebounds per game. However, neither of these teams ranks in the top 10 in shooting percentage and both sides are on the second night of a back-to-back so there may be some additional rebounding opportunities with tired legs sure to be present.
LaVine has been a consistent enough rebounder that the Clippers’ success does not worry me. Look for LaVine to use his athleticism on the boards and find his way to at least five rebounds for the sixth time in the past seven games and 22nd time this season as he takes on the Clippers tonight.
