The NBA’s Sunday night twin bill features an all-L.A. showdown between the Clippers and Lakers.
The pregame narrative: These teams met two nights ago at Crypto.com Arena, and now they’re running it back at the same venue. Look for Luka Doncic, James Harden and Ivica Zubac all to make their mark on this game.
Check out my Clippers vs. Lakers prop picks for March 2.
Clippers vs. Lakers prop picks
Best bet: Zubac over 12.5 rebounds (+104)
Two nights after Zubac grabbed 16 rebounds against the Lakers, he’s got plus-money odds to go over 12.5. Sign me up for that.
- The Lakers allow the seventh-most rebounds to opposing centres (15.6/game), per Betting Pros.
- LAL ranks 20th in rebounding rate (49.3%).
- Zubac has 64 rebounds in his past four matchups against the Lakers, clearing this prop three times.
Remember, Anthony Davis isn’t a Laker anymore. For as talented as Luka Doncic is, he doesn’t make up the difference for L.A. on the glass.
The Lakers are also expected to miss Rui Hachimura (5.2 RPG) and Austin Reaves (4.2), which cuts down on the volume of capable rebounders Zubac will have to deal with.
Speaking of capable rebounders, Zubac is among the very best in the NBA.
His 12.6 RPG average ranks fourth among all players, ahead of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Wembanyama, and even AD.
The ex-Laker is enjoying a career year, and I expect him to continue making it hurt for his former team.
Key stat: Zubac has averaged 14.3 rebounds in his past six matchups against the Lakers (since April 2023).
Quick pick
Harden over 8.5 assists (-136): There’s more juice on this prop than I’d prefer, but it’s still in a playable range under the circumstances.
Harden has gone over 8.5 assists in eight straight games against the Lakers, including in all three matchups this season.
I expect him to be a particularly active passer tonight with Norman Powell (knee) probable to return after a five-game absence.
In his past 25 games alongside Powell, Harden has averaged 8.8 assists and cashed this bet 15 times.
Doncic over 27.5 points (-127): Doncic has put up some dreadful shooting numbers for the Lakers, and you’d probably expect that to be a reason to fade him. Actually, I’m looking at it the opposite way.
Doncic is shooting just 37.3% from the field and 24.1% from beyond the arc in his first seven games for L.A. But his shot volume is robust, and that’s not going to change.
- Over his past four games, Doncic has averaged 20.3 field goal attempts. He also has 7+ attempted 3s in all seven games as a Laker.
- With his shooting woes, Doncic has resorted to drawing more foul calls. He’s attempted 8+ free throws in four straight games.
Despite an underwhelming 40.9 FG% on Friday, Doncic finished with 31 points against the Clippers.
If shots start to fall at a more typical clip, he’ll be clearing this number routinely — especially with Reaves out.
Picks made at 1:00 p.m. ET 03/02/2025.
Jordan enjoys writing data-driven game previews and analysis articles — especially for MLB markets or NFL/NBA props. And as a proud Ohio University grad, he’ll always have a soft spot for college sports (especially if the Bobcats are involved). Previous stops include mlb.com, Sportsnet and The Athletic.