The Memphis Grizzlies find themselves down 3-1 to the Los Angeles Lakers in the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs. These teams just played on Monday night, but they’ll now head back to Tennessee for a pivotal Game 5. Fortunately for bettors, FanDuel has left a bit much value on the player prop markets for LeBron James and Luke Kennard. If you’re searching for more Lakers-Grizzlies player props and other sharp plays for Game 5, check out OddsShopper’s tools for other sharp plays, including our Parlay Builder!
Lakers-Grizzlies Game 5 NBA Player Prop | Luke Kennard
Luke Kennard O/U 1.5 3-Pointers
The Memphis Grizzlies moved away from Luke Kennard in Game 4. The veteran sharpshooter played only 14 minutes in the loss. But despite his limited volume, he still shot 2-for-4 from beyond the arc and racked up six points. Kennard accounted for 22.2% of the Grizzlies’ made 3-pointers on only 9.5% of their total attempts. Look for him to play a slightly bigger role come Wednesday night.
Kennard’s lack of defensive physicality limited his playing time in Game 4, but offensive efficiency must start to outweigh defensive intensity at some point. Dillon Brooks shot a miserable 4-for-11 from the floor and 1-for-7 from beyond the arc in 41 minutes. He now owns shooting splits of 33/22/71 for the series. Desmond Bane went only 3-for-12 from beyond the arc in Game 4 as well. Jenkins just isn’t getting enough out of his wings offensively right now, so turning to a career 49/46/83 playoff shooter in Kennard would make sense.
Kennard’s averages against the Lakers also point to value here. Before leaving the Clippers, he had scored at least two 3-pointers in eight consecutive games against them. He has since gone for two more 3-pointers in three of his six starts against the Lakers with the Grizzlies, including two games in this series. Kennard has finished with a positive box plus-minus score in three of the games this series and in four of his six games against L.A. with Memphis.
After a four-game sample, Jenkins must seriously reconsider the amount of faith he has placed in his primary offensive weapons. Look for him to turn to Luke Kennard for a bit more run in a must-win home game. It helps that Kennard averaged 3.7 more points and 1.1 more 3-pointers at home in the regular season, so he is less likely to struggle early and have Jenkins leave him on the bench. Let’s back him to hit at least a pair of 3-pointers at odds of -120 via FanDuel Sportsbook.
Best Lakers-Grizzlies Player Prop: Luke Kennard Over 1.5 3-Pointers -120 for 1 Unit via FanDuel
Lakers-Grizzlies Game 5 NBA Player Prop | LeBron James
LeBron James O/U 9.5 Rebounds
The Los Angeles Lakers just got a whopping 20 rebounds out of their superstar, LeBron James, in Game 4. James has recorded 10-plus rebounds in three of his four playoff starts this year, including both starts in Memphis. His playoff rebound rate (17.8%) has skyrocketed from his regular-season rebound rate (12.5%).
While James is likely taking a more aggressive approach on the glass in the playoffs, this jump is inconsistent with his historical regular season-to-playoff performances. James owns a career rebound rate of 11.3% in the regular season and one of 13.1% in the playoffs. He is currently on pace for his highest playoff rebound rate ever.
The Grizzlies are a better rebounding team than what they’ve shown so far in the playoffs. They recorded the eighth-best team rebound rate in the regular season (50.7%), slightly better than what the Lakers recorded (50.5%). More importantly, their team rebound rate improves by 1.3% when they play on their home floor, FedEx Forum.
This is a prime sell high spot for James’ rebounding. James has recorded 10 or more rebounds in only 113 of his 270 career playoff appearances (41.2%). He also averaged only 7.9 rebounds per game when playing on one day of rest in the regular season. Let’s back him to stay under this number at +104 via FanDuel Sportsbook. Readers yet to sign up for FanDuel can get $150 in bonus bets after placing a $5 wager!
Best Lakers-Grizzlies Player Prop: LeBron James Under 9.5 Rebounds +104 for 1 Unit at FanDuel
