I’m locking into tonight’s Los Angeles Clippers versus Portland Trail Blazers matchup with a pair of prop bets.
The pregame narrative: Norman Powell is shooting (and scoring) in bunches, and he looks like a great play tonight against a struggling Blazers squad. I also think Scoot Henderson can build off a career night, while Cade Cunningham is worth a look at plus money.
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Best bet: Powell 25+ points (-108)
Powell just continues to crush it in his first season as a starter for the Clippers.
The 10-year veteran is playing more and shooting more than ever before, which has led to a career-high scoring average (23.7 PPG).
He’s not just benefiting from volume, though. Powell is shooting the lights out, especially from 3-point range. His 44.7% shooting beyond the arc ranks second in the NBA.
Last night, Powell finished with 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting (3-of-4 from deep). I’m sure he would’ve done more damage, but in a game the Clippers won by 59 points, he spent most of the second half on the bench.
Now he’ll face the Portland Trail Blazers, who are a plus matchup for talented shooting guards:
- 29th in points by opposing SGs
- 28th in defensive rating
- 27th in opponent 3PT%
Prior to last night’s abridged appearance, Powell had scored 25-plus points in nine of 12 games. This is a smash spot.
Key stat: Powell finished with 30 points in both previous matchups against the Blazers this season.
Quick picks
Henderson over 1.5 threes (-138): Two nights ago, Henderson re-entered Portland’s starting lineup and enjoyed the best game of his very young and embattled career:
- 39 minutes
- 39 points
- 13-of-18 shooting (8/10 3PT)
With multiple would-be starters slated to miss tonight’s game, Henderson should slot back into a starting spot.
Combine a minutes boost with what should be a confidence boost after his 39-point night, and I think we’re in business here.
Henderson has cashed this bet in six of his past 12 games, and he came off the bench in 11 of those games. The Clippers aren’t an ideal matchup, but on the heels of a back-to-back, he might be catching them at the right time.
Cunningham over 2.5 threes (+110): Cunningham is having a moment right now, making a serious push for his first all-star bid in the final days of fan voting.
The Detroit Pistons’ floor general has scored 30-plus points in four of his past six games, and I think they’ll need to lean on him in a key matchup against the Indiana Pacers.
Cunningham’s markets are looking bloated these days thanks to his strong output, but I think plus-money odds on this 3s line has value.
- In two previous matchups vs. Indiana this year, Cunningham is 6-of-12 (50.0%) from deep.
- Cunningham has 3+ threes in 13/19 games since Nov. 29, shooting 40.2% beyond the arc in that span.
Picks made at 9:20 a.m. ET on 01/16/2025.
