Griffin Wong details his top Luka Dončić prop bets for tonight’s Lakers-Rockets game.
Last Christmas, Luka Dončić played his last game as a Dallas Maverick, sustaining a calf strain in the second quarter that proved the final blow in his relationship with his team. Now, he’s the leading man for the Los Angeles Lakers and will play his first Christmas Day game in the purple and gold when the Lakers host the Houston Rockets for an 8 p.m. ET clash.
This season, Dončić has been truly special, leading the league with 34.1 points per game and adding 8.8 rebounds, 8.6 assists, and 1.6 steals per contest. He’s been the driving force of a Lakers team that has been competitive despite each of the five starters missing multiple games.
Los Angeles is a 2.5-point underdog for tonight’s game at DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total set to 232.5. Below, I’ve highlighted my favorite prop bets centered around Dončić.
Best Luka Dončić Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Dončić’s defensive struggles were a major reason for his shocking trade away from the Mavericks and a major reason why the Lakers lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Minnesota Timberwolves, but he’s still a high-IQ player with quick hands who consistently puts up solid numbers. His 2.1% steal percentage is the second-highest of his career, behind only the 2.5% that he posted last season. All in all, he’s recorded multiple steals in eight of his 21 games and at least one in all but six, and in the most recent game that he both started and finished, he recorded a season-high five against the Utah Jazz.
Houston has had few flaws early in the season, but as a young and inexperienced team without a primary ball-handler, turnovers have been an issue. The Rockets rank third-to-last in turnover percentage and have allowed the fourth-most steals. Individually, both Kevin Durant — whose loosening handle is just about the only manifestation of his advanced age — and Amen Thompson are averaging more than 2.4 turnovers per game, and in both of their cases, nearly half of their turnovers are lost-ball turnovers. Dončić should spend a decent amount of time guarding both players, and last season, he forced Thompson into two turnovers in the 26.8 partial possessions that he guarded him. Plus, if his leg isn’t 100%, he might gamble for steals instead of standing tough against drives.
Luka Dončić U7.5 Rebounds (-118)
Dončić is a one of the best rebounding guards in NBA history and has had three triple-doubles already in 21 games, but this is just a terrible opponent for him. Houston absolutely cleans up on the glass, posting a 55.3% rebounding percentage that would be the highest mark in NBA history across a full season. The Rockets start a gigantic lineup, with three players listed at six-foot-10 or taller, and Thompson — who starts at point guard — is an athletic freak. Houston also shoots the fifth-highest percentage from the field and misses the fewest threes, so any defensive rebound opportunities for Dončić are likely to be few and far between. Last season, Dončić’s two games against the Rockets were among his lowest 11 rebound totals of the season…then Houston went out and added Durant.