Best NBA Bet for Monday: Target This Player Prop In The Warriors-Clippers Matchup
There were only two NBA games on Sunday as the league understandably didn't want to go head-to-head against the Super Bowl. While that didn't leave us with many options to choose from, I wanted to at least have some NBA action before partaking in the Big Game festivities. Unfortunately, things didn't work out for us as the Pacers narrowly missed covering the spread by 2.5 points. We'll need to have a short memory after that disappointing loss, and hopefully, we can get back in the win column on Monday.
Today, our best bet won't involve a side or the total. Instead, I'll be looking to target a player prop that looks to be somewhat undervalued. Let's head to the City of Angels, where the Clippers will host the Golden State Warriors.
Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Clippers, Total, and Odds
Moneyline: Warriors -235 | Clippers +194
Spread: Warriors -5.5 (-112) | Clippers +5.5 (-108)
Total: Over 220 (-110) | Under 220 (-110)
NBA Championship Odds: Warriors +460 | Clippers +10000
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook today and get your first bet risk-free for up to $1,000.
Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Clippers, Analysis, and Picks
Even with nine games on the NBA schedule, I must admit that I wasn't entirely enthralled with the card. That's essentially what led me to the props market, which is where I found our play of the day.
At 42-15, the Golden State Warriors are having a tremendous season. Yet, they're 4.5 games behind the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference. Even after winning eight of their past ten games, the Warriors haven't made up any ground on the Suns, who are currently on a five-game winning streak with victories in nine of their past ten games. On Monday, the Warriors will have a chance to cut Phoenix's lead down to four games in the division as Golden State faces a Clippers that they've already defeated twice this season.
One player I'll plan to target in this matchup is the Warriors' sharp-shooting point guard, Stephen Curry. Curry's points prop is set at 23.5, but I think there is an even better option if you play his points and rebounding combo prop, which is set at 27.5. With Klay Thompson back on the team, Curry doesn't necessarily need to average 32 points per game as he did in the 2020-21 season. However, it's worth noting that his average of 25.7 points per game is his lowest scoring output in the past five seasons. Nevertheless, his rebounding has remained consistent, as Curry averaged between 5.1 and 5.5 rebounds during that same span.
Curry will be up against a Clippers team that ranks 25th with 51.5 rebounds per game. That number is even worse recently as their average is down to 47 in the past three games. In the two previous meetings with Los Angeles, Curry went to work on the glass as he finished with ten and five rebounds in those games. While he also poured in 45 and 33 points against LA, I think the rebounding angle is really where the value lies in this prop.
For a player averaging 25.7 points, Curry's shown a tendency to have some bad shooting nights. He's already had seven games where he finished with 15 or fewer points. That's a big reason why I'm more bullish on his combo prop cashing if it's tied to rebounds, given the opponent he'll be up against on Monday night.
Pick: Curry over 27.5 points + rebounds (-125)
All NBA predictions and picks are courtesy of SportsGrid.
