The best series of the NBA playoffs will continue with Game 2 on Thursday. The Los Angeles Lakers will again take on the Golden State Warriors in the Chase Center in front of an anxious crowd. Bettors searching for value on the player prop markets for Game 2 should target Kevon Looney and Jarred Vanderbilt. Looking for more Lakers-Warriors player props? Check out OddsShopper’s tools for other sharp plays, including our Parlay Builder!
Lakers-Warriors Game 2 NBA Player Prop | Kevon Looney
Kevon Looney O/U 25.5 Points, Rebounds & Assists (PRA)
The Los Angeles Lakers exploited their size advantage to win a pivotal Game 1 against the Golden State Warriors. L.A. racked up a whopping 10 blocks to Golden State’s three while. Worse, the Dubs shot only 41.5% from inside the arc and scored just 28 points in the paint. After the team’s standard lineup couldn’t get the job done in Game 1, expect head coach Steve Kerr to make some changes and go even smaller.
Kevon Looney did an excellent job in Game 1. He racked up 10 points, 23 rebounds and 5 assists (38 PRA) while picking up only three fouls. However, Looney was not in Golden State’s closing lineup as the team looked to rally back from a big deficit. While it’s possible that Kerr chooses to try and size up to compete with the Lakers in the paint and on the glass, it’s likelier that he’ll pivot to a small-ball lineup in hopes of getting more of an advantage from the perimeter.
If Kerr opts to go small, no one stands to lose out more than Looney. The traditional center pretty much fell out of the lineup once in the playoffs already in Golden State’s Game 2, when he played only 23 minutes as the Warriors opted for a smaller lineup that saw Gary Payton II log 27 minutes. Looney averaged only 21 minutes and 17.3 PRA against the Lakers in the regular season and never cleared this number. Let’s back the under at -122 at FanDuel Sportsbook.
Best Lakers-Warriors Player Prop: Kevon Looney Under 25.5 PRA -122 for 1 Unit at FanDuel
Lakers-Warriors Game 2 NBA Player Prop | Jarred Vanderbilt
Jarred Vanderbilt O/U 5.5 Rebounds
Even if the Golden State Warriors go small, Jarred Vanderbilt won’t fall out of the rotation. The Lakers used him as the primary defender against Stephen Curry in Game 1, and he made a splash with eight points, six rebounds and four blocks and steals in Game 1 despite playing only 26 minutes. He had eight rebound chances and recorded a rebound rate of 10.3%.
As we discussed before Game 1, Vanderbilt owned the Warriors on the glass this season. The mid-season trade from the Utah Jazz meant that he lined up against the Golden State six times. Across those games, he averaged 7.7 rebounds per game with Utah and 10 per game with Los Angeles. Although Vanderbilt’s defensive assignments often prevent him from getting easy rebounds, he should have a meaningful size advantage if the Warriors go small in Game 2.
The sharp sportsbooks are a bit keener on Vanderbilt for Thursday. Pinnacle, a sharp book, has the total set to 5.5 with the over priced at -105. In contrast, the over 5.5 costs only +105 at FanDuel Sportsbook. Let’s lock this play in at the better number before the book adjusts. I don’t want to put a full unit on this in case lineup changes keep Vanderbilt off the floor, but a half-unit wager makes sense. Readers yet to register at FanDuel can score $150 in bonus bets after placing a $5 wager!
Best Lakers-Warriors Player Prop: Jarred Vanderbilt 6+ Rebounds +105 for 0.5 Units at FanDuel
