Clippers vs. Suns: The best Paul George prop bets for Game 2
The Los Angeles Clippers took to the court without Kawhi Leonard in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, and fell 120-114 to the Phoenix Suns. They'll be without Leonard yet again tonight, thereby putting added pressure on Paul George to carry much of the scoring and playmaking.
In Game 1, George took 26 shot attempts and scored 34 points. He launched 15 3-point attempts, the most he took in a game all season. While the points were above his season average, his four rebounds and five assists weren’t enough to secure a win.
As we look forward to Game 2, let’s examine three different betting props for the Clippers star.
Over/Under 30.5 Points
Since Leonard has been out of the lineup, George has scored 34, 28, and 37 points. It's no secret that his number is going to get called again in Game 2. In addition, veteran Marcus Morris Sr. injured his knee in Game 1. While he is likely to play, he only received five minutes in the second half and could be less effective than normal in the second game of the series as he continues to recover.
📊 34 PTS / 7 3PM / 5 AST@Yg_Trece became the fourth player in the last 10 seasons to score 20+ points in the first 14 games of the playoffs. pic.twitter.com/1142r7WQNc
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) June 21, 2021
George has a good matchup in this series with no elite wing defender to slow him down, and the Suns are more known for their offense than defense. With Chris Paul out and his backup, Cameron Payne, getting additional minutes, don’t be surprised if the Suns push the pace a bit more than normal. More possessions will also mean more shots for George. I like George to do his best to carry the team and hit this Over.
Pick: Over 30.5 points (-134)
Over/Under 8.5 Rebounds
In this new series matchup with the Phoenix Suns, Clippers head coach Ty Lue has readjusted his minutes away from the small ball roster he preferred against the Utah Jazz. Terance Mann, Ivica Zubac, and DeMarcus Cousins are all likely to get more minutes than they received against the Jazz.
While George worked the glass hard to go over this number in five of the six games in the Jazz series, he can rely on his teammates more against the Suns to help him in the paint. Combined with the effort he’s going to have put forth to score points and slow down a potent Suns offense, I expect George to follow suit from Game 1 and stay Under 8.5 rebounds.
Pick: Under 8.5 rebounds (-108)
Over/Under 5.5 Assists
George had five assists in Game 1, and it’s hard to expect him to pass the ball enough times to good enough shooters in Game 2 to surpass that number this time around either. When George has the ball in his hands he’s looking to score, and that likely won’t change moving forward.
For his career, George has averaged just 3.5 assists per game. Even with the Clippers this year in a potent offense playing alongside Leonard, he averaged 5.2 assists. The Clippers don’t have a deep roster of outside shooters that give George good options for drive-and-kick assists. Look for him to hit the Under on this prop as he becomes the recipient of most of his teams’ assists, rather than the delivery man.
Pick: Under 5.5. assists (-134)
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