The NBA has seven games on the scoreboard this Sunday, with the NBA TV spotlight focused on the Los Angeles Lakers visiting the Detroit Pistons in the Motor City. The big game tips off at 6:00 p.m. ET, and both teams have started the year strong. The Lakers are 8-2 after winning four straight to start November, while the Pistons are 6-2 and had won three straight before losing to the 76ers on Wednesday. The Pistons have had three days off since that loss and will host the Lakers, who are starting a four-game road trip. Let’s take a closer look at Sunday’s matchup and pick a few Lakers-Pistons props that make sense to add to your betting card.
For the game, the Pistons are 7.5-point home favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the over/under set at 218.5. As of Sunday afternoon, 52% of moneyline bets are on the Pistons, but 58% are on the Lakers against the spread.
Both teams have key players on the injury report. The Lakers listed Luka Doncic as out but will have Walker Kessler available. The Pistons listed Jalen Duren and Isaiah Joe as out but will have Isaac Jones available after being listed with the Pistons’ two-way/G League group.
Lakers at Pistons Props on DraftKings Sportsbook
Walker Kessler 15+ Points (+115)
Doncic is missing his second game this season, and Kessler is one option for the Lakers to look to for scoring to fill in the gap. Kessler is on the injury report due to a left finger splint, but he is listed as available. He is averaging 14.6 points per game, and he has scored at least 15 points in four straight games.
Kessler has four double-doubles in his last five games and has shot 71.6% from the field on the season. He doesn’t have an extremely high volume, but he has a good opportunity to get past this threshold if he gets more opportunities with Luka missing.
He only had 11 points in the first game he played without Doncic this year, but without Duren on the other side, Kessler has a more favorable matchup. The Lakers don’t have a very deep frontcourt behind Kessler, so he has played a career-high 31.2 minutes. If he gets that much run again on Sunday, Kessler has a good chance to deliver this plus-money prop.
Ausar Thompson 23+ Points + Rebounds + Assists (-104)
Thompson is averaging 23.1 PRA (points, rebounds and assists) per game in his seven games. He left one game early with an ankle injury and missed a game two weeks ago, but he has looked strong since his return. He came in just under this threshold in his first game back against the Knicks, but he has gone over this level in each of his four games since then.
On Wednesday, he had one of his best games of the season, with 11 points, 17 rebounds and three assists for 31 PRA in a season-high 34 minutes. Thompson will look to build on that success in this favorable matchup against the Lakers, and I like taking his combo prop like this since he fills in multiple categories with a high ceiling when he’s at his best.
The Lakers have been a slightly favorable matchup for small forwards like Thompson, so if he gets to his averages on Sunday, this prop is a strong option to consider.
Quentin Grimes 12+ Points (-102)
Grimes joined the Lakers this past offseason and has averaged 7.6 points in 25.5 minutes per game. He has come off the bench in nine of those 10 games and finished under this prop in five straight games.
However, his one start came in the game Doncic missed due to injury. He played 38 minutes against the Clippers in that game and finished with 23 points, five assists, four steals and three rebounds.
With Doncic unavailable, Grimes will have to pick up more of the workload, and he has proven in the past that he can step up when given more volume. Grimes went over this threshold in three of his last five games against the Pistons, including two of his last three in Detroit. All of those games came when he was playing for the Sixers, and he’ll look to have similar success with his new squad on Sunday. With Doncic unavailable, Grimes could see an expanded role, especially if he moves into the starting lineup.
Bonus Parlay Play: Duncan Robinson 16+ Points (-108)
If you are assembling a Same Game Parlay (SGP), be sure to consider the available 30% NBA Profit Boost on a 3+ leg parlay on an NBA SGP or SGPx on DraftKings Sportsbook. Adding in the over on Robinson’s points boosts the SGP odds to +1400 for the four player prop bets in this post. Adding on the booster can take your winnings even higher!
Robinson has been one of Detroit’s top scoring options early this season. The 32-year-old veteran is averaging 19.0 points per game, which would be a new career high by a wide margin if he continues to score so many points. Robinson has 16+ points in six of his eight games this season, including each of his last three games. He started the week with 24 points on Monday against the Hornets and followed that up with a season-high 27 points on Wednesday.
