NBA Best Bets: Pelicans at Lakers - Prop Bets for Tuesday 3/3/26
Griffin Wong previews tonight's game between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Los Angeles Lakers, offering his top prop bets.
With the NBA season nearing its climax, injury reports are often murky. By March, teams' goals become clearer: some tank, while others strive for better playoff positioning.
The 10:40 p.m. ET match between the Lakers and Pelicans stands out. Los Angeles has only one injury concern, reserve center Maxi Kleber (back), while the Pelicans have one questionable player, starter Zion Williamson. This is an improvement from their season-long struggles, as they recently welcomed back Dejounte Murray (Achilles).
The Lakers are 8.5-point favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook (-345 on the Moneyline), with a point total of 242.5. New Orleans is +275 on the Moneyline. Below, I've outlined my three favorite prop bets for this game.
Luka Dončić to Reach 15 Points (-103)
Dončić is the clear favorite to reach 15 points first. This season, he's averaged a league-high 11.7 points in the first quarter, 2.1 more than the next-best player and nearly twice as many as the top Pelican, Trey Murphy III (5.9 points per game). In the recent win over the Sacramento Kings, Dončić hit his 15th point just 1 minute, 32 seconds into the second quarter, while the next player, Nique Clifford, took over 9 minutes to reach the same milestone.
Dončić's efficiency should be high against the Pelicans' poor defense. They've allowed the fourth-most points per game and, despite some improvement since the All-Star break, played mostly weaker teams. The Pelicans allowed 137 points to the LA Clippers on Sunday, and Dončić's accuracy should be high against a team that gives up easy shots. The Pelicans have allowed the second-most shot attempts in the restricted area and the second-most wide-open threes.
Zion Williamson to Score 21+ Points (-115)
Despite Dončić's early scoring, I'm optimistic about Williamson's chances. He's had the second-healthiest season of his career, playing 35 consecutive games before missing the last game with an ankle sprain. In those 35 games, he averaged 21.3 points per game, hitting the 21-point mark 21 times. While he might have a slight minutes restriction, he's averaged just 29.5 minutes per game this season, so he doesn't need a full workload to make an impact.
The Lakers' defense should favor Williamson. They rank 22nd in defensive rating this season and lack the personnel for significant improvement. Los Angeles has struggled in rim protection, giving up the third-highest percentage in the restricted area, which aligns with Williamson's strengths. Only Giannis Antetokounmpo has attempted more layups than Williamson.
Luke Kennard to Make 2+ Three-Pointers (+102)
Kennard, acquired by the Lakers at the trade deadline, has been solid in his first 10 games, averaging 10.2 points and impressive shooting splits (61-48-91). While his volume was low in the first eight games, he's been on fire in the last two, making seven of 12 three-pointers (58.3%). As long as he maintains this volume, making two threes is a strong possibility, given his history of making at least 50% of his wide-open triples in four of the past five seasons.
