It all falls on the shoulders of Anthony Davis for the Dallas Mavericks.
Luka Doncic is gone. Kyrie Irving is out for the season. Dereck Lively II just returned in limited minutes and is out tonight. Klay Thompson and Max Christie can only do so much. The big fella is the only man between the Mavs and utter disaster.
Not only do the Los Angeles Clippers present a tough matchup for Dallas, but a loss here could see them close to missing the NBA Play-In Tournament entirely. The 10-seed Kings play on the road against the train-wreck Hornets, coming into the day 1.5 games behind Dallas. Phoenix, the 11 seed, are 2.5 back and still in the running. Dallas, and especially Davis, will have to come out motivated in this one.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Los Angeles is a -10.5 home favorite for this matchup. Let’s dig into the best player props for this contest.
Best Anthony Davis Prop Bets
NOTE: Davis has been ruled out for tonight’s game.
Under 21.5 Points (-110) and Under 9.5 Rebounds (-140)
You’re probably thinking, “Wow, all that buildup just to fade the guy?”. Unfortunately, yes.
Since returning from injury, AD has gone under these marks in four of five games. His monster 34-point, 15-rebound line in Atlanta shows promise, no doubt. Failing to hit the mark in four games that included a tanking Brooklyn squad twice, Chicago, and Orlando is rough.
Ivica Zubac, the perennially-underrated Clippers center, is also a brutal matchup for him. In 13 inter-city tilts between the Clippers and Lakers, AD’s former team, the big man is averaging 22.3 points and 8.2 boards. The only matchup between the two centers so far this year saw the Brow record 16 points and 10 boards, and that was with a competent Lakers squad at his back. Tonight, he has to do it all himself against one of the better defensive centers in the league.
I’m not optimistic that he will look like his usual dominant self. It’s going to be a long night for Davis.
