This article is part of our NBA Picks series.
Anthony Davis over 36.5 points + rebounds + assists vs Clippers (-115)
FanDuel, 4:19 PM CT
Alex Barutha: The Clippers have one of the weakest center rotations in the NBA, preferring to play small-ball aside from Ivica Zubac. In his two appearances against the Clippers last season, Davis posted 27/10/4 and 30/17/2. If the Lakers want to win this game, they'll have to force the Clippers to deal with AD.
Los Angeles Clippers -5.5 at Los Angeles Lakers
DraftKings Sportsbook, 11:00AM CT
Nick Whalen: This is an absolute no-brainer for me. I'm not sure what the oddsmakers saw from the Lakers on opening night that would imply that they'll be able to hang with this Clippers team. I'm actually somewhat skeptical of the Clips' viability as a title favorite in the West, but they should be a very good regular season team – especially on nights like this one when the entire roster is available. The Lakers' shooting woes are going to be a season-long issue, so I think there's a good chance tonight's game looks a lot like Tuesday's embarrassing blowout against Golden State.
Grayson Allen Over 12.5 points (-113)
FanDuel Sportsbook, 11:31 AM CST
Jason Shebilske: Allen had his fair share of inconsistent performances last season, but I predict that he'll see increased run early in the 2022-23 campaign with Pat Connaughton and Khris Middleton sidelined. This feels like a reasonable number for Allen to surpass during Thursday's regular-season opener, especially after he averaged 11.7 points in just 19.0 minutes per game over three preseason appearances.
Kawhi Leonard Over 17.5 points (+100)
DraftKings Sportsbook, 1:19 PM CT
Jason Shebilske: Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports made waves Thursday by reporting that the Clippers were considering bringing Leonard off the bench to begin the regular season, which caused a pretty significant shift in his scoring line for Thursday's season opener against the Lakers. While I'm still expecting somewhat limited production from Leonard after he missed all of last year due to a torn ACL, his line of 17.5 points feels like a bit of an overcorrection. There's definitely some risk with this bet given Thursday's news, but I think Leonard eclipsing 17.5 points is certainly achievable regardless of his starting status.
Joel Embiid Over 26.5 points (-115)
1:57 PM, Fanduel
Michael Spero: This line is simply too low for Embiid who averaged 30.6 points per game just a year ago and was the odds-on favorite to lead the league in scoring this season. The All-Star center dropped a quiet 26 points in Philadelphia's opener and I am expecting an even better second showing. Don't be surprised if Embiid tops 30 points in this contest. Take these low Embiid point totals while you can.
