The Los Angeles Clippers are rapidly circling the drain. At 6-19, their playoff hopes are slipping from their grasp. James Harden is one of the few players determined to save this team from complete disaster. At his age, it’s unreasonable to expect that, but he’s sure to try.
The Clippers are 4.5-point home favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook. They’re priced at -180 on the Moneyline, while the Grizzlies are +150 underdogs. The total for this game is set at 228.5 points. Let’s get into my favorite Harden prop bet for this Clippers vs. Grizzlies showdown.
Best James Harden Player Prop
As always when evaluating a matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies, you have to keep an eye on the injury report. Memphis recently got Ja Morant back into the fold, a significant upgrade for that offense. Unfortunately, the Grizzlies’ injury woes were not to be stopped for long, as Zach Edey is back on the shelf. This drastically alters the shape of their defense.
Edey has been one of the best rim protectors in the game this year. His presence in the paint completely changes how they coordinate their help assignments and direct traffic at the point of attack. If you think the paint is safe, it affords you a lot of wiggle room on the perimeter.
Now that some of the wiggle room is gone. Memphis will have to fly around in rotation, sending different help packages at Harden whenever he’s threatening to break the paint. For an excellent point guard like The Beard, that means a plethora of playmaking opportunities. Shooters will be open, Ivica Zubac will be rolling hard to the rim, and those passing windows will be there. Harden is smart about taking what’s given to him, and in this case, that means a whole bunch of assists. He’s notched at least nine assists in 10 games this season thus far, and there’s a very good chance he does so once more tonight.
