The Clippers topped the Mavericks in game one of their best-of-seven series on Monday night, while the Lakers will take on the Trail Blazers on Tuesday.
We might be headed toward an all-Los Angeles Western Conference Finals, but the teams first need to win two series apiece in order for that to come to fruition.
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George combined for 56 points in Monday’s 118-110 Clippers win. The Lakers face the Blazers at 9 p.m. on ESPN.
Here are some daily fantasy prices and plays to consider, followed by a quick betting analysis of each series.
Lakers game one DraftKings prices
Here’s what some prominent Lakers are going for at DraftKings on Tuesday night:
- Danny Green ($3,200)
- Talen Horton-Tucker ($3,300)
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($3,600)
- Dwight Howard ($3,700)
- Alex Caruso ($4,300)
- Kyle Kuzma ($6,400)
- Anthony Davis ($10,400)
- LeBron James ($10,700)
Two picks: LeBron James, Alex Caruso
There are plenty of reasons to like this Blazers team — the explosive backcourt, Jusuf Nurkic beasting inside, and Carmelo Anthony’s resurgence. That’s all great, but they might be one of the teams least equipped to handle James in the league.
Anthony legitimately might be their best shot, which is troublesome. Zach Collins is too slow, Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum are too small, and Mario Hezonja is… Mario Hezonja.
James hasn’t been great in the bubble by his standards, but the playoffs are a different animal, and this is an excellent matchup for him.
Also keep an eye on Caruso, who’s a lot more important to the Lakers now than he was before COVID-19 sans Avery Bradley and Rajon Rondo.
Caruso might be the Lakers’ best option to defend Lillard, so you know he’s going to see playing time. And while he’s far from a focal point of the offense, at a cheap price, he’s worth a look.
Clippers game two prices
- Reggie Jackson ($3,200)
- Patrick Beverley ($3,500)
- Ivica Zubac ($4,500)
- Montrezl Harrell ($4,600)
- Marcus Morris ($4,800)
- Lou Williams ($5,300)
- Paul George ($8,600)
- Kawhi Leonard ($10,00)
Two picks: Marcus Morris, Ivica Zubac
Morris looks like a bargain at $4,800. He had 19 points, six rebounds and four steals on Monday night in 32 minutes. Only Leonard and George played more minutes and took more shots.
The Mavericks are going to score a ton of points, but also give up a ton; the two squads combined for 228 points in game one and didn’t hit the over.
Realistically, Morris is probably the Clippers’ fourth option when you factor in Williams. But he’s far more likely to contribute blocks and steals, which are key in DFS.
Zubac, meanwhile, benefits from Harrell’s reintegration after having to leave the bubble. Zubac played seven more minutes than Harrell on Monday (not usually the case) and posted 10 points and 10 rebounds.
At a fairly cheap price, he’s also worth a look if you’re looking to load up on expensive guards and forwards.
Clippers, Lakers betting lines
Here are lines for each team’s next game at DraftKings.
- Lakers vs. Trail Blazers: Lakers -6.5 (-110), O/U 233
- Clippers vs. Mavericks: Clippers -6 (-110), O/U 230.5
The Lakers’ line opened at 5.5 and has been bet up to 6.5, so it looks like the money is on their side. This looks low for your typical eight vs. one matchup, but the Blazers are better than your average eighth seed.
They didn’t have Nurkic all year, and he’s averaging 17.6 points, 10.3 rebounds and four assists in the bubble.
Plus, Lillard has gone insane in August, scoring 42 or more points four times.
They still don’t play defense (hence the point total), but this might be the most intriguing first round series on the slate.
The Clippers are similarly priced against the Mavericks, and the line makes sense considering LA won by eight and Kristaps Porzingis got ejected in the second half.
Something to keep in mind: Dallas turned the ball over 21 times, didn’t shoot that well (34.2%) from 3, and lost Porzingis, yet still only lost by eight. The Mavericks look enticing in a bounce-back spot on Wednesday.
