The NBA Playoffs are back as the No. 7 seed Los Angeles Lakers (43-39) take on the No. 2 Memphis Grizzlies (51-31) in the Western Conference first round. The series tips off on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. ET. With such an enticing matchup on deck, there are a number of juicy prop bets to take a look at. Below we continue our NBA odds series with the Lakers-Grizzlies playoff series' top betting prop picks and odds.
Here are the Lakers-Grizzlies NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Lakers-Grizzlies Betting Props & Odds
Series Total Games: Seven Games (+185)
Scoring Leader: Ja Morant (+200)
Threes Leader: Desmond Bane (+170)
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Lakers-Grizzlies Total Games Pick: Seven Games (+185)
This figures to be a highly competitive series as Los Angeles and Memphis had the two best records in the Western Conference after the All-Star break. While the Lakers won the regular season series 2-1, the home team won each of the three games. Additionally, all three of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Ja Morant didn't appear in any of the three games at the same time. Both teams possess serious NBA Finals aspirations and either of them could conceivably make a deep run. As such, this series screams seven games. Considering both squads may not lose a single home game, I see this going down to the wire. That being said, it's up in the air who comes out on top and therefore we'll just count on it to get to seven.
Scoring Leader: Ja Morant (+200)
Despite LeBron James breaking the scoring record this season and both James and Anthony Davis averaging comparable scoring numbers for the season, this is an easy Ja Morant pick. While Ja's 26.2 PPG isn't especially eye-popping compared to LeBron's season average of 28.9 PPG, it's all about what's happening in this one series. Looking at their recent production, Morant hasn't been anything incredible. He played in just 13 games after the All-Star break due to a suspension and averaged just 21.8 PPG – barely the highest mark on his own team during that span. That being said, he averaged a measly 29 minutes per game.
In a playoff setting his playing time should skyrocket to nearly 40 minutes per game. In each of the last two postseasons, Morant averaged at least 37.5 minutes per game. He averaged 30.2 PPG in the 2020-21 playoffs and then 27.1 PPG in the 2021-22 playoffs. Neither James nor AD sniffed those numbers the last time they made the postseason in 2020-21. Even in their 2019-20 title run, they were only at 27.6 and 27.7, respectively.
With each of them aging, the Lakers being much deeper than in years past, and Morant entering his prime, this is his moment to show he is among the truly elite players in the league. Additionally, while the Lakers' defense improved over the second half of the year, their perimeter defense remains suspect – setting Ja up for a big series.
Threes Leader: Desmond Bane (+170)
Perhaps the most wide-open of all of the player stat props, I like Desmond Bane to nail the most triples in this opening-round series. Bane averaged the most three-pointers (2.9) and three-point attempts (7.0) per game out of anyone in this series. He did so while shooting a highly efficient 41% from beyond the arc. While Bane did struggle in three meetings against the Lakers to the tune of just 13 PPG and 13% shooting from three, that remains an incredibly small sample size. While the Lakers could have solved how to defend him, he will likely bounce back in an elongated series.
Since the All-Star break, only Lakers wing Malik Beasley averaged more three-point attempts per game. However, Beasley played just 14 minutes in the play-in game and he doesn't have nearly as long of a leash as Bane. Over that same span, both D'Angelo Russell and Luke Kennard averaged more threes per game than Bane. Bane averaged just 2.6 per game over that span while Russell averaged 2.9 and Kennard averaged 3.2. That being said, Russell looked like he can't stay on the floor in their play-in game as the Lakers played him for just 24 minutes and he shot 1-9 overall. As for Kennard, he was on a torrid pace to end the year but his 54% three-point percentage will inevitably regress and he isn't a guarantee to play big minutes.
Final Lakers-Grizzlies Betting Prop Odds & Picks
This series may be the most entertaining of the entire first round. The way I see it going down, the Lakers and Grizzlies will battle it out until one of them emerges victorious in the decisive game seven. Along the way, look for Ja Morant to light it up from all over the court and Desmond Bane to make it reign from beyond the arc.
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