In the second-to-last matchup on today’s 12-game, the Clippers will host the Rockets. Norman Powell will be looking for revenge as the Rockets have beaten the Clippers twice already this season which marked his two worst scoring outputs on the season. The team will also be eager to wipe the slate clean after the Timberwolves blew out Los Angeles 108-80 on Wednesday.
Both the Rockets and Clippers have exceeded expectations through the early parts of the season and are in the playoff mix in a competitive Western Conference. It’s the third matchup between the two teams but the first in Los Angeles.
The Clippers injury report will be one to monitor leading up until tip-off. In addition to Kawhi Leonard, P.J. Tucker, Terance Mann and Kobe Brown remaining out, James Harden, Kris Dunn and Mo Bamba are each listed as questionable. Houston will be without Tari Eason as he recovers from his concussion while Fred VanVleet and Jae’Sean Tate are each listed as questionable.
The Rockets enter this game as 3.5-point favorites. The Clippers are +140 underdogs on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook and the game total is set at 214.
Here are the best Powell props for tonight’s matchup.
Best Norman Powell Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Powell’s props are listed at over/under 20.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.5 made three-pointers and 23.5 combined points and rebounds.
Norman Powell Over 20.5 Points (-115)
Powell has been nothing short of excellent to start this season. The 31-year-old is in the midst of a career year and has made the most of the opportunity following the offseason loss of Paul George and Leonard’s injury.
The Clippers guard is averaging 23.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. He is attempting a career-high 16.4 field goals per game and 7.9 three-pointers. Powell is connecting on 50.5 percent of his shots from the field and 50.7 percent from beyond the three-point arc. While this three-point rate is not sustainable for an entire season, the sample size is large enough to take note of.
Houston has a strong defensive team that is allowing 106.6 points per game which is the third-fewest in the NBA. They also are holding opponents to the second-worst field goal percentage, the fifth-worst three-point percentage and rank second in defensive efficiency.
Powell has recorded over 20.5 points in 12 of his 17 games this year. However, his two lowest scoring totals of eight and 13 points occurred against the Rockets. Powell shot a combined 8-29 from the field and 3-11 from beyond the arc in these matchups. These are huge outliers compared to his season output and are the only two games this season Powell has been held below 30 percent shooting from the field.
While the Rockets’ defense deserves its flowers for its impact on Powell, expect some different results in tonight’s game. This will be the first time the two teams are facing off in Los Angeles.
Powell has recorded over 20.5 points in the past three games including 30 points in just 25:15 of game time in his lasting outing. While Harden’s playmaking is key to creating shots for Powell, his level of opportunity in the offense will further expand if the former MVP is forced to miss tonight’s contest. With or without Harden, expect a much-improved performance from Powell and for him to play closer to his season standard rather than the two past performances against the Rockets.
Powell has not played since Tuesday so he will have fresh legs following the five-day rest. Expect Powell to stand out offensively and record over 20.5 points for the 13th time this season.
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