A Western Conference showdown between the Nuggets and Clippers concludes Thursday night’s schedule. Denver is third in the West, while Los Angeles is 10th after trading away James Harden and Ivica Zubac at the deadline.
Denver is a 4.5-point favorite and -180 on the moneyline, while Los Angeles is +150 on DraftKings Sportsbook. The game total is set at 226.5 points.
Here are my favorite player props for this game between the Nuggets and Clippers.
Nuggets vs. Clippers Best Prop Bets
Bennedict Mathurin over 15.5 points (-105)
The Clippers acquired Bennedict Mathurin in the Zubac trade, and he’s played two games for Los Angeles thus far. Both performances have been underwhelming as he’s averaging 12.5 points on 30.4% from the field.
There is a silver lining, however. Mathurin took 13 shots in 26 minutes and 10 shots in 31 minutes. The second game, he also shot 9-of-10 from the free throw line. The volume is there, but it’s a matter of converting.
Perhaps after the All-Star break, Mathurin will be more familiar with his new teammates. That’ll help his efficiency moving forward, which will allow him to hit the over on his points tonight.
Nikola Jokic over 1.5 threes (-152)
It’s not a Nuggets prop article without Nikola Jokic over 1.5 threes. The three-time MVP is one of the best shooting bigs in the NBA, converting on 42% of his three-pointers. He’s shooting 4.6 per game, which is just 0.1 fewer than last year. These two seasons are standouts in his career, and a conscious shift to more perimeter shots.
Jokic has made at least two threes in 21 of 39 games this season, including both contests against the Clippers this year. While Los Angeles looks different after the deadline, Jokic should still have similar success from deep.