Warriors vs Lakers Props – Best Player Props Sunday, February 28th
- The Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers matchup on Sunday February 28th
- Anthony Davis (Achilles) is out for the Lakers
- Which player props represent the best betting value?
The Warriors are four-point underdogs for their second 2020-21 meeting with the reigning champion Los Angeles Lakers. Although without Klay Thompson for the season, Golden State has welcomed back Kevon Looney and James Wiseman recently. The Lakers are still without Anthony Davis, but Dennis Schroder returned to the line-up for Friday’s win over Portland.
This is another clash between Steph Curry and LeBron James, and it’s an opportunity for the Lakers to bounce back after a string of losses prior to the victory over the Blazers.
Warriors vs Lakers Player Props
| Player | Points | Rebounds | Assists | Three Pointers Made |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steph Curry (GSW) | 29.5 (O -104 | U -118) | 4.5 (O -148 | U +120) | 6.5 (O -112 | U -110) | 4.5 (O -170 | U +132) |
| Kelly Oubre (GSW) | 17.5 (O -106 | U -116) | 6.5 (O +116 | U -142) | 3.5 (O +120 | U -148) | 2.5 (O +134 | U -172) |
| Draymond Green (GSW) | 7.5 (O -104 | U -116) | 6.5 (O -132 | U +112) | 9.5 (O -142 | U +116) | 1.5 (O -170 | U +132) |
| LeBron James (LAL) | 28.5 (O -116 | U -106) | 9.5 (O +100 | U -122) | 8.5 (O -132 | U +108) | 1.5 (O -200 | U +154) |
| Dennis Schroder (LAL) | 16.5 (O -120 | U -102) | 3.5 (O -110 | U -110) | 3.5 (O -114 | U -106) | 1.5 (O +164 | U -215) |
| Kyle Kuzma (LAL) | 11.5 (O -122 | U +100) | 6.5 (O -102 | U -120) | – | 1.5 (O -113 | U -113) |
Odds taken on Feb 28 from FanDuel.
Oubre’s Scoring
A poor start to the season saw plenty of criticism fly Kelly Oubre’s way. He has bounced back emphatically. Oubre is comfortably the Warriors’ second-highest scorer in February, averaging over 20 per contest. His three-point percentage, which was historically bad early in the season, has soared to 44% this month.
Oubre is in the 80th percentile among wings for shots at the rim. He’s well above average for corner threes, too. This matches up well with a Lakers defense which ranks in the bottom 10 in the league in quantity of opponent shots at the rim, and which is without Anthony Davis to deter opponent’s from going to the basket.
Dray was loving this Kelly Oubre dunk 😤 pic.twitter.com/wg5vJSd1k7
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 27, 2021
A string of dunks against the Hornets led Oubre to a 27-point night. He’s scored over 17.5 in five of his last six outings, and the one time he fell short, he finished with 17.
Neither Montrezl Harrell nor Marc Gasol can protect the basket. Oubre has developed chemistry with Draymond Green as a cutter, and it’s proving to be a nightmare for defenses. The former Phoenix Sun is averaging 6.4 field goal attempts within five feet of the rim in February, the same number as John Collins, and more than Luka Doncic and Joel Embiid.
Kelly Oubre the month of February. pic.twitter.com/HJpBsPL0bf
— Brandon Younger (@BrandonYounger) February 27, 2021
Taking 15.6 field goal attempts per game this month, Oubre has found his role in this Warriors offense. Against a great Lakers defense, he won’t find it as easy as he did against Charlotte, but going over 17.5 is still a good bet given his recent production.
Pick: Kelly Oubre over 17.5 points (-106)
Kuzma From Deep
Kyle Kuzma takes 47% of his field goal attempts from beyond the arc. The Lakers forward ranks in the 57th percentile among forwards in the percentage of shots which are corner threes. He’s also shooting 36% from deep this season, the best mark since his rookie year.
With his 2nd 3-pointer of the night, Kyle Kuzma passed Michael Cooper for 9th on the Lakers’ all-time 3-pointers made list, totaling 431 for his career.
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) February 23, 2021
Kuzma faces a Warriors defense which ranks in the bottom 10 in the NBA in corner threes given up. They are 23rd in opponent three-point shooting percentage, too. While the return of Dennis Schroder makes Kuzma’s role as a scorer less important for the Lakers, it gives him yet more opportunity to operate off-ball and spot up as a catch-and-shoot option for either Schroder or LeBron James to kick it out to.
Line-ups with Schroder, James and Kuzma haven’t been used that much this season, but it’s definitely an option for Frank Vogel on Sunday. Kuzma’s shot totals might take a hit with Schroder back in the line-up (he played just 23 minutes and got five shots up against Portland), but as his role in the offense changes, the quality of his looks increase.
The big takeaway from this game, if you at all doubted it, is that Kyle Kuzma can guard elite wings down the stretch of games.
— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) February 21, 2021
The Warriors will play considerable minutes without a rim protector. This forces the defense to collapse on drives to the rim, and opens up shooters like Kuzma.
Kuzma has made over 1.5 threes in eight of his last 15 games. When he’s played 29 or more minutes, he’s hit two or more threes in seven of 10 games. In part, that’s because Vogel increases his minutes when he’s shooting it well, but it also shows Kuzma’s three-pointers made is a very reasonable bet if he gets enough minutes.
His mobility and improved defense could be useful against the fast-playing Warriors – Kuzma to make two or more threes is one of the best bets on the board.
Pick: Kyle Kuzma over 1.5 threes (-113)
Sam Cox is a freelance writer and sports junkie, who has spent the past several years immersed in the online gaming industry. He has worked with 888sport, Oddschecker, and Colossus Bets to name a few. Based in the UK, Sam also runs Franchise Sports with his brother.
