When I wrote about this matchup last night, I described two teams moving in opposite directions. That was only exacerbated after Los Angeles trounced Dallas 114-91 — all that without James Harden playing like his normal self.
The decimated nature of this Mavericks team made it easy for the Clippers to roll over Dallas without their stars at full power. Anthony Davis was ruled out to manage his injury, and Klay Thompson left rather quickly with an illness. Kawhi Leonard was the only 20-point scorer on LA’s side, which was more than enough.
Even if Davis plays and Leonard is load-managed tonight, LA maintains a massive talent advantage from top to bottom. The question I’m asking is, will Harden improve on his 13/4/5 line from last night?
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Los Angeles is an 8.5-point home favorite for this matchup. Let’s dig into the best Harden props for this contest.
Best James Harden Prop Bets
James Harden under 35.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-105)
Even with Harden only recording a combined 22 PRA, LA cruised to victory last night. I’d expect a repeat performance on both counts, whether or not Leonard and Davis are in the lineup.
Take a look at the Clippers’ last five games. They’re 4-1 as a team, beating four sub-.500 teams while losing to the East-leading Cavaliers. In all four victories, Harden was under 35.5 PRA but cleared it in the loss to Cleveland. I’m beginning to sense a pattern here.
Los Angeles needs this game, without a doubt. The Clippers, at 45-32, are tied with the Grizzlies and Timberwolves, who play the Pistons and 76ers today, respectively. A loss could see them fall to the eighth seed, or they could jump up to six. All that stands in front of them is a Mavericks squad limping to the finish line.
Maybe Harden will have to turn it up a notch for the Clippers to prevail tonight, but I don’t see a massive game in the cards. The king of coasting will coast yet again tonight.
