The Los Angeles Clippers are visiting Scotiabank Arena and the Toronto Raptors for the first and only time this season tonight, December 11. This also marks the first time that Clippers star SF Kawhi Leonard returns to the city that he won a championship with (or for) nearly six months ago to the day. The two teams met a month ago in LA with the Clippers scoring a 98-88 triumph and Leonard was one assist shy of a triple-double with 12 points, 11 boards and nine dimes.
With the highly anticipated return of the man who chose LA over Toronto in free agency, online sportsbook Sportsbook has released some prop bets for this game and I've outlined a few that I like.
The Clippers are a slight 1.5-point favorite in tonight's game and Odds Shark as a full preview and pick for this game as well.
Total Assists for Kawhi Leonard
The first prop bet I like for this game is OVER 4.5 assists for Kawhi at -120. Leonard is averaging 5.2 dimes per game and has dished out fewer than five assists in only eight of the 18 games that he has played this year. When the Raps visited Staples Center in November, Kawhi had nine assists in 35 minutes and I anticipate him looking to put on a show in the Six.
Toronto is also allowing the seventh-most assists per game in the Association at 25.4, so I like this play.
| Sportsbook | Odds |
|---|---|
| OVER 4.5 | -120 |
| UNDER 4.5 | -120 |
Odds as of December 10 at Sportsbook
Leonard or Siakam, Who Will Score More Points?
The second prop I like is Pascal Siakam to score more points than Kawhi Leonard at +135. This is a tougher prop with Kawhi averaging 25.1 ppg and Pascal dropping 24.5 ppg, but when the two played against each other last month, Siakam scored a team-high 16 points to Leonard’s 12. Looking at the home/away splits, Pascal is scoring 25.4 ppg at home compared to 23.8 on the road, while Kawhi is scoring 24.6 on the road vs 25.4 at home.
Lastly, the Raptors have the seventh-best home record in the NBA at 9-2 SU and the Clippers are just 5-6 on the road, perhaps offering the underdog more of an opportunity for points.
| Sportsbook | Odds |
|---|---|
| Kawhi Leonard | -175 |
| Pascal Siakam | +135 |
Odds as of December 10 at Sportsbook
Will Kawhi’s Laugh Be Used During the Game?
The last prop that I like is mostly for fun and value (at +1000) and that is whether or not Kawhi’s laugh will be incorporated into the in-game arena experience after a missed free throw or turnover.
Here’s Kawhi Leonard doing whatever the robotic equivalent of laughing is. pic.twitter.com/2ZzHM0B7nY
— Faizal Khamisa (@SNFaizalKhamisa) September 24, 2018
Will this prop hit? Probably not, but a small sprinkle wager hoping for what could be a fun opportunity to bring out that laugh at a perfect time is worth a chance for me.
I don’t expect the in-house DJ to take a shot at an opposing player, especially one who took this team to the promised land last season, and poking fun at a mistake doesn’t seem like a very professional thing to do, but I’ll hold on to my +1000 ticket for pure enjoyment.
| Sportsbook | Odds |
|---|---|
| Yes | +1000 |
| No | -5000 |
Odds as of December 10 at Sportsbook
Here’s a look at the rest of the prop bets from Sportsbook available to bet for Kawhi’s return to Toronto:
| Sportsbook | Odds |
|---|---|
| Yes | -5000 |
| No | +1000 |
Odds as of December 10 at Sportsbook
| Sportsbook | Odds |
|---|---|
| OVER 28.5 | -120 |
| UNDER 28.5 | -120 |
Odds as of December 10 at Sportsbook
| Sportsbook | Odds |
|---|---|
| OVER 8 | -120 |
| UNDER 8 | -120 |
Odds as of December 10 at Sportsbook
| Sportsbook | Odds |
|---|---|
| Kawhi Leonard | -280 |
| Pascal Siakam | +185 |
Odds as of December 10 at Sportsbook
| Sportsbook | Odds |
|---|---|
| Kawhi Leonard | +110 |
| Pascal Siakam | -150 |
Odds as of December 10 at Sportsbook
| Sportsbook | Odds |
|---|---|
| Yes | -330 |
| No | +215 |
Odds as of December 10 at Sportsbook
| Sportsbook | Odds |
|---|---|
| Yes | +650 |
| No | -1400 |
Odds as of December 10 at Sportsbook
