Filip Tomic
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The NBA Playoffs start this weekend and we have four big games to enjoy on Saturday.
Our same-game parlay focuses on the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers, tipping off at 4.30pm ET live on ESPN.
We also have picks on the side and total for the rest of Saturday’s action, but let’s dive into the Mavericks and Clippers showdown.
Kawhi Leonard Over 26.5 Points (-108)
Paul George Under 25.5 Points (-116)
Ivica Zubac 8+ Rebounds (+130)
Luka Doncic Over 8.5 Assists (-134)
Parlay odds: +1419
© Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Kawhi Leonard Over 26.5 Points (-108)
Kawhi Leonard was one of the main reasons why the Clippers were able to overcome Dallas in last year’s playoff series. He averaged 32.8 points during those six games and was able to keep the Clippers afloat with Paul George struggling for much of that series. Although he finished the regular season averaging 24.8 points per game, he turns it up a notch in the playoffs. Over his last three appearances with the Spurs, Raptors, and Clippers he has averaged 28.2, 30.5, and 27.7 points per game. In last year’s matchup against the Mavericks, he opened the series with 29 points, so there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic heading into this series. Dallas also doesn’t have any solutions for him one-on-one, so look for Leonard to have a big game.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Dallas Mavericks vs. Los Angeles Clippers.
Paul George Under 25.5 Points (-116)
George struggled a lot against the Mavs last year. It got to a point where it became embarrassing for ‘Playoff P’ as he had games where he shot 4-for-17 and 3-for-16 from the field. He finished the series averaging just 18.5 points per game while shooting 38 percent from the field and 27 percent from three. Over his last ten regular-season games he has averaged only 19.3 points which is exactly his point average for the three regular-season games against the Mavericks. For some reason he just struggles against his team, so until he proves us wrong I’m backing the under on his point total.
Ivica Zubac 8+ Rebounds (+130)
Before the Clippers tanked the last two regular-season games against the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder, Ivica Zubac was on a solid streak rebounding the ball for them. In the five games prior to that he had 8, 8, 8, 10 and 11 rebounds over a five-game stretch, solidifying himself as the best rebounder on the team. There’s definitely value in this bet as I expect a lot of defense to be played by both sides in this one which should lead to more rebounding opportunities and Zubac will be among those to benefit from this.
Luka Doncic Over 8.5 Assists (-134)
Luka Doncic averaged 8.7 assists in the playoff series against the Clippers in the Orlando bubble last year. In four of those six games he recorded nine or more. In the three regular-season meetings this season he averaged 30.3 points and 11 assists against LA, that’s despite all three of those games going under the points total. He is the focal point of the offense for Dallas and everything goes through him. Kristaps Porzingis is healthy, Tim Hardaway Jr has shown he is capable of putting up big numbers, so Doncic has plenty of options to pass it to on the offensive end. Look for him to distribute the ball in this one and go over the total.
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