LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets will take on the Orlando Magic tonight, looking to punch their ticket into the playoffs as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. They defeated the Miami Heat in the opening Play-In game to earn a chance in this matchup, and a victory in tonight’s game would snap a nine-year streak of missing the playoffs. The winner will take on the Detroit Pistons in the opening series.
The Charlotte Hornets enter as 3.5-point home favorites with -155 Moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Magic hold +130 odds of pulling off the upset, with the game total set at 218.5.
Let’s dive into my favorite LaMelo Ball player props for Friday’s contest.
Best LaMelo Ball prop bet on DraftKings Sportsbook
LaMelo Ball Over 31.5 Combined Points & Assists (-113)
It can be a roller coaster experience to watch LaMelo Ball on the floor, but the talent is undeniable. The former All-Star posted averages of 20.1 points, 7.1 assists, and 4.8 rebounds while taking some major strides in his style of play being more conducive to team success. Charlotte has done an excellent job building up the quality of the roster around him, but Ball is still the straw that stirs the drink of the organization.
He put this on display in the opening Play-In matchup, finishing with 30 points and 10 assists despite struggling as a shooter. Ball shot 12-for-31 from the field and just 2-for-16 from beyond the three-point arc. Efficiency has never been a strong suit of his, but it is worth acknowledging that he was a +15 in the one-point victory.
The Magic have not lived up to their expected defensive level this season. Orlando ranks 13th in opponent points allowed, 11th in defensive rating, 19th in opponent field goal percentage, and 11th in opponent three-point percentage. He is capable of catching fire as a scorer and is a gifted passer who can rack up assists if the style of defense dictates this.
Given the volume of opportunities he will seek out, expect Ball to have a clear path to recording over 31.5 combined points and assists. The 24-year-old has tallied over 31.5 combined points and assists in 17 games this year. However, he will have more opportunities for production with expanded minutes tonight. Ball clocked 40 minutes of action in the Play-In game after not eclipsing 37:10 all season and averaging 28.0 minutes per game. This is likely the biggest game of his young career, so back him to tally over 31.5 combined points and assists for the second straight Play-In game in an effort to keep their season alive.
LaMelo Ball to Record Over 4.5 Made Three-Pointers (+110)
The bulk of LaMelo Ball’s shot diet comes from beyond the three-point arc. He is averaging 10.3 three-point attempts per game compared to 7.0 shots inside the arc. Of the long-range opportunities, Ball is connecting at a 36.8% rate. He is averaging 3.8 made three-pointers per game and has made over 4.5 three-pointers in 23 games this season.
Even while he struggled with his efficiency in the previous Play-In matchup, Ball launched 16 three-point shots. This was tied for his fourth-most in a game this season, and he has attempted 10+ three-pointers in 41 of his 72 games played. Ball is not afraid of the moment and will not blink if the shots are not going down early.
In addition, the three-point arc is an area where the Hornets can break this game open. The Magic brought in Desmond Bane this offseason in an effort to solve their floor-spacing problems, but Orlando still ranks 22nd in three-point volume and 27th in three-point efficiency. The Magic do a good job of defending the perimeter, ranking fourth in opponent three-point attempts allowed, but this is a Hornets team that attempts the second-most threes in the league. Ball headlines this effort with the highest volume on the team.
Trading two points for three points is a losing battle from the Magic’s perspective, so expect the Hornets to do their best for the game script to play out this way. Ball is also plenty comfortable, oftentimes too willing, to pull up from well beyond the arc. Expect a bounce-back shooting performance from the 2-for-16 three-point effort on Tuesday and for Ball to knock down over 4.5 three-point attempts tonight.
