The second game of Friday’s ESPN doubleheader is the battle for Los Angeles as the Lakers welcome the Clippers back to their former home at the Crypto.com Arena. The two teams are both in the playoff mix coming into the home stretch, but the rivalry game always adds a little spice to close out the evening. If you’re staying up late for this West Coast matchup, some strong player prop options are available that can help you finish the night with a nice win. Let’s break down the matchup and find some Clippers vs. Lakers player prop bets that make sense to add to your betting card for Friday night’s finale
In the overall picture, the Lakers are 8.5-point home favorites with the point total at 226.5 on DraftKings Sportsbook.
The Lakers apparently used the All-Star break to get healthy and have a lean injury report coming into this game, meaning Luka Doncic will be back after missing four games with a hamstring injury. The Clippers haven’t submitted an injury report yet after they resumed play on Thursday to start this back-to-back with a one-point win over the Nuggets. That win boosted the Clippers to 27-28 with the win, while the Lakers are 33-21. The Clippers sold some key pieces at the trade deadline, but the new look squad has beaten the Timberwolves, Rockets and Timberwolves in three of their last four games.
Let’s take a look at some of the top player prop bets from both the Clippers and the Lakers in this Friday night matchup. These picks can be used as standalone plays or combined in a Same Game Parlay (SGP), as indicated at the bottom of the post.
Clippers vs. Lakers Best Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
LeBron James O20.5 Points (-101)
Even with Luka’s return, James should be able to put together a good game after such an extended break. He is averaging 21.9 points per game this season and has scored 20+ points in six of his last seven games.
He has played the Clippers three times this season, producing 25, 36 and 23 points in those three contests. The Clippers have only held him under 20 points one time in his last 18 opportunities in this specific matchup.
With Luka back, James may not have to carry as much playmaking workload, but he should still have plenty of chances to get his points. The 41-year-old will try to continue to appear ageless for the next few weeks as he helps the Lakers push for a playoff spot. He may get some games off or take it easy in some matchups, but he should be fresh and ready to smash the Clippers once again this Friday night.
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Kris Dunn O16.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-126)
Dunn has historically been a low-usage, defense-first point guard, but he has picked up a little more offensive workload after James Harden was traded to the Cavaliers. Dunn could get even more work on Friday if the Clippers rest any of their other starters on the second night of the back-to-back.
While his scoring is still a little streaky, this combo is a solid way to get the added safety of his rebounds and assists. Even though he only scored two points in Thursday night’s win over the Nuggets, he still went over this prop with eight rebounds and eight assists in 29 minutes.
Dunn has exceeded this PRA line in four of his last five games with 20+ PRA in three of his last four before Thursday night. If he’s asked to continue to play a larger role, his alternate total of 20+ PRA at +175 is a tantalizing plus-money option as well.
Austin Reaves U24.5 Points + Assists (-117)
With LeBron and Luka back, Reaves could take a back seat as he continues to ramp up after his calf injury that forced him to miss all of January. He has been coming off the bench and playing under 30 minutes, but even if that shifts and he’s back in the starting five, the Lakers will be careful with his minutes and workload.
He has been under this prop line in eight of his last nine games, even without Luka for the last four. While he could ramp up his minutes, the reduced responsibilities with Luka back should balance that increase out and keep him under this prop line on Friday.
Reaves is always a tricky player to take the under on, since he can get so hot very quickly from long range, but this seems like a game that Luka and LeBron will dominate, with Reaves stepping back to his role as the third option and staying under this prop. This will be just the 11th game this season that all three Lakers options will be available for the same contest.
Bonus Parlay Pick: John Collins O6.5 Rebounds (+117)
If you’re building an SGP (Same Game Parlay) from this Friday night matchup, adding in the over on Collins’ boards boosts the odds to a solid +1000 for these four Clippers-Lakers bets.
Collins has had more responsibilities on the boards since the trade deadline and has at least seven rebounds in six of his last eight games. He had 12 boards on Thursday and is averaging 7.5 rebounds per game over his last eight contests, even though his season average is still only 5.2. Getting this prop at plus-money should be a great value, especially if he gets extra work if others rest on the second night of the back-to-back.
