The NBA has some fun Sunday night matchups, including the Los Angeles Clippers visiting the Oklahoma City Thunder in a Western Conference matchup. The Clippers are 1-1 in their two games this season, while the Thunder have started the season 2-0. The Thunder have had two off days since defeating the Nuggets on Thursday, while the Clippers are coming off an eight-point loss to the Lakers on Friday. Let’s take a closer look at Sunday’s matchup and pick out a few Clippers Thunder props that make sense to back this Sunday night.
In the bigger picture, the Thunder are gigantic 16.5-point home favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook with the over/under at 224.5. The Thunder are getting 96% of the bets on the moneyline and 54% of the picks against the spread as of Sunday afternoon.
On the injury report, the Clippers will be without Bradley Beal, Brandon Ingram, Jordan Miller and Max Strus, while the Thunder will be without Nikola Topic and Thomas Sorber.
Clippers at Thunder Props on DraftKings Sportsbook
Darius Garland Over 20.5 Points (-112)
Without Beal, Ingram and Strus, Garland has had to be more active on offense in the first two games of the season for the Clippers. Garland took 19 shots in each game against the Kings and Lakers, scoring 30 points against Sacramento and 26 points against the Lakers.
Garland played 32 and 37 minutes in those two games, and provided the game stays competitive enough for Garland to get his usual minutes, he should have enough opportunities to go over this scoring prop once again. He hasn’t taken on the Thunder since being traded to the Clippers, but he averaged 20.1 points against them in the 11 games he faced them when he was with the Cavs.
With so much of the offense resting on his shoulders as the point guard, he has a good chance to get to 21 points as the Clippers try to keep up in OKC.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Under 5.5 Assists (+117)
Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 6.6 assists in his 68 regular-season games last year, and he has averaged at least 5.5 assists in each of the last six regular seasons. However, he hasn’t been dishing as many dimes in the early going this year, and he could play limited minutes in this game if it gets one-sided.
SGA had four assists in the season opener against the Spurs and handed out just three assists in the Thunder’s win on Thursday against the Nuggets. He had his streak of 141 games with 20+ points come to an end in that game as well, and he could be focused on scoring a ton of points on Sunday as a response to the end of that streak.
Whether he focuses more on scoring or doesn’t play his full complement of minutes, multiple scenarios point to another game with five assists or fewer, which is an attractive play at plus-money odds as one of my top options in Sunday’s player props.
Keaton Wagler 20+ Points + Rebounds + Assists (+102)
The Clippers drafted Wagler with the No. 5 pick in the NBA Draft out of Illinois, and the team’s early-season injury woes have allowed him to play a very involved role right away. He has come off the bench in both games, but he has contributed solid numbers. Whether this game stays close or not, Wagler is likely to get plenty of playing time and opportunities.
In his NBA debut, Wagler had 15 points, five rebounds and five assists against the Kings in 29 minutes. He followed that up with 13 points, three assists, and three rebounds in 24 minutes on Friday against the Lakers.
While he fell just under this prop line in that Friday matchup with 19 PRA (points, rebounds and assists), it’s still very encouraging that he got that much run in the second unit and posted eight field goal attempts for the second straight game. Even if some of that work comes in garbage time, he will likely have the chance to get to this 20+ PRA level that comes at just better than even money.
Bonus Parlay Play: Jalen Williams Over 4.5 rebounds (-125)
If you are assembling a Same Game Parlay (SGP), be sure to capitalize on the available Profit Boost to use on a 3+ leg parlay on DraftKings Sportsbook. Adding in the over on Williams’ rebounds boosts the SGP odds to a juicy +1300 for the four player prop bets in this post. Adding on the booster can take your winnings even higher!
Williams grabbed seven boards in the opener against the Spurs and five rebounds in his second game of the season, going over this prop in each contest. He averaged over 4.5 rebounds in each of his last two regular seasons, even though he was limited by multiple injuries last year. He has looked healthy and played 30+ minutes in each game this season, giving him a good chance of sweeping in at least five rebounds in this matchup.
