All eyes of the NBA world will be on Denver tonight as the Nuggets face the Los Angeles Clippers in a Game 7 elimination battle. Ivica Zubac and company will be traveling into enemy territory and looking to earn the right to face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the next round after keeping their season alive with a victory in Game 6.
This matchup has been everything fans could hope for in a playoff series. We have seen overtime, a buzzer-beater, and four games decided by a margin of six points or less. But everything will be on the line in Game 7 as these two Western Conference opponents battle it out to keep their playoff hopes alive.
The Nuggets enter this potential closeout matchup as 1.5-point favorites with -118 odds on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Clippers hold -102 odds of pulling off the upset, with the game total set at 207 for this matchup.
With the stage set, here are my favorite Ivica Zubac prop bets ahead of Game 7.
Best Ivica Zubac Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Zubac’s props are listed at over/under 17.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.5 made three-pointers and 31.5 combined points, rebounds and assists.
Ivica Zubac Under 11.5 Rebounds (-105)
The battle of the big men will be a huge part of this matchup, just as it has been all series. The impact three-time MVP Nikola Jokic makes is no secret, but there is also a case to be made that Ivica Zubac is the best individual defender Jokic has faced in a playoff series. There is no way to fully eliminate Jokic from impacting the game, but Zubac has limited him at a more than respectable rate.
Across the opening six games of the series, Zubac is averaging 18.7 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. This comes after a career-best regular season in which the 27-year-old averaged 16.8 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game. Zubac has been held to under 11.5 rebounds in three of the six games in this series, including combining for just 11 rebounds in the past two matchups.
Both of these big men are among the premier rebounders in basketball. They finished the regular season ranked third and fourth in the NBA in rebounds per game. Zubac will continue to play a significant role in rebounding the basketball, but his focus has shifted to limiting Jokic’s rebounding effort over pulling in boards on his own. After combining for 55 rebounds through the opening four games, including 21 in Game 4, Jokic was limited to 17 combined rebounds over the past two games as a result of these efforts.
Expect the two big men to be prepared to battle on the boards and cancel each other out in some regard. This creates some value for other members of each team, but look for Zubac to be held under 11.5 rebounds for the third straight game.
Ivica Zubac Over 1.5 Blocks (+145)
One area that has been scaled up as the series has progressed has been Zubac’s impact as a rim protector. He is coming off a three-block performance in the previous game and tallied two blocks in Game 5.
Looking back at the regular season, Zubac averaged 1.1 blocks per game. He tallied at least two blocks in 23 games this season, including as many as six in a game. While he has had a career-best season in a lot of areas, Zubac averages 1.2 blocks per game in his career and has averaged 1.5 blocks per game in two different seasons. Denver also saw 5.2 of their shot attempts blocked per game across the regular season, which ranked 21st in the NBA.
Zubac deserves immense credit for serving as the anchor of this Clippers defense, which finished the regular season ranked fourth in opponents’ points per game and 10th in defensive rating. This is especially the case considering the inconsistent availability of Kawhi Leonard and some limitations on the players surrounding him on the defensive end, such as James Harden. But this was all building toward this moment, and the Clippers will need to bring their best defensive effort.
Look for Zubac to rise to the challenge and set the tone for this Clippers defense across this matchup. He will be responsible for serving as the primary paint protector, and I like his chances of recording over 1.5 blocks for the third straight game at +145 odds on DraftKings Sportsbook.
