Filip Tomic
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It’s a pivotal Game 5 in the series between the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers as the 2 teams head back to Los Angeles on Wednesday night. Tipoff is at 10:00 pm ET on TNT, right after Game 5 of the Heat vs Celtics series. I have prepared a Same Game Parlay for this matchup, available below.
For predictions on the side and total for Game 5 of Heat vs Celtics, simply visit our NBA Picks page.
Let’s dive into my SGP bet now!
Clippers ML (+124)
Russell Westbrook to score 10+ points (+155)
Ivica Zubac to record 1+ blocks (-250)
Same Game Parlay odds: +478
Los Angeles Clippers ML over Dallas Mavericks (+124)
These 2 teams have been going back and forth all series long. The momentum should be back in the hands of the Clippers after they got back home-court advantage with a memorable win in Game 4. Not having Kawhi Leonard is a big blow, but I would argue the Mavs are suffering more with Luka Doncic playing with a sprained knee. That has limited him to under 40% efficiency from the field and is impacting his defense. He just isn’t able to move laterally, and the Clippers are taking advantage.
LA has won 4 of the last 6 meetings. Unlike the Mavs who depend on Doncic’s production, the Clippers are pretty much used to playing without Leonard at this point. Paul George finally got his rhythm back with a 7-for-10 effort from downtown over the weekend. He will be hard to stop if Doncic’s knee issues persist. I feel like getting plus odds for a Clippers home win is just too good to pass up.
Russell Westbrook to score 10+ points (+155)
We are yet to see a breakout game from Russell Westbrook in this series. Game 5 would be ideal for him to step up to the task. LA cannot rely on George and Harden to average 60+ points on a nightly basis in this series, at some point the absence of Kawhi Leonard will come back to haunt them. That’s where Westbrook steps in. He is the energizer bunny for this team coming off the bench, after opening the series with 13 points in Game 1 his efficiency has dropped, but I still have a lot of faith in the veteran. He averaged 12.7 points per game vs Dallas in the 3 meetings during the regular season, shooting over 55% from the field in 23 mins per game. With role players usually playing better at home in the postseason, I’m counting on him to get to his averages.
Make sure you also read our Heat vs Celtics Same Game Parlay for today’s other matchup
Ivica Zubac to record 1+ blocks (-250)
Big Zu is enjoying life right now. He has by far exceeded expectations on both ends for the Clippers, and I’m once again counting on his physicality down low to make the difference. He has recorded at least 1 block in 3 of the 4 games played in the series, which means he has now come up with 7 swats in the last 8 meetings with the Mavs. Dallas is yet to score 100 points at Crypto.com Arena vs the Clippers in 3 games this season; the defensive presence of Zubac is one of the reasons for that. More than a third of the Mavs’ points in the opening 2 games came from inside the paint; if they continue attacking the basket like that in Game 5, you have to think at least one of those shots will end up in the hands of big Zu.
