Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves were one of two teams to pull off a win in Game 1 of the playoffs on the road this season, but they’re set as underdogs in Game 2.
While I’m not sold on the Wolves winning back-to-back games against the Los Angeles Lakers, I do think Edwards is one of two players undervalued in the prop market after an elite offensive showing overall by the Wolves in Game 1.
Plus, Lakers guard Luka Doncic is looking to build on a strong Game 1 to keep his team in the series on Tuesday night.
Who doesn’t love a little prop action for a standalone NBA game?
Here’s a full breakdown of the three I’m taking in this Game 2 clash between Minnesota and Los Angeles.
I took an OVER for Naz Reid in Game 1, and I’m going right back to the well in Game 2.
Reid finished Game 1 with 23 points on 12 shots, knocking down six 3-pointers in the process. The reigning Sixth Man of the Year averaged 14.2 points per game during the regular season, and he played a ton of minutes in Game 1 (30:51) with the Lakers relying on their small-ball lineup.
I expect that to continue to be the case for L.A., which means Reid – not Rudy Gobert – could see extended time at the center spot for the Wolves.
This line is set way too low for Reid given how important he is to the success of this Minnesota offense. Plus, the Lakers’ lack of rim protection should make things easy for him and Julius Randle when they decide to attack the basket.
Doncic was held to just one assist in Game 1, but I don’t expect that to continue in Game 2.
A big reason for Doncic’s lack of assists was the lack of shot-making by his teammates. All Lakers not named Luka shot just 21-for-61 from the field in Game 1.
Doncic averaged 7.7 assists per game in the regular season and averages 8.2 for his career, so we’re getting a little discount in Game 2. Luka – despite seeing assist numbers take a hit in L.A. – still had seven or more dimes in 14 of his 21 games since March 1, averaging 7.9 assists per game during that stretch.
Edwards missed time with a cramp in Game 1 and finished with just 22 points on 8-of-22 shooting from the field.
While it wasn’t Ant’s best game, I can’t look past his usage in this one. He took 22 shots (nine from 3) in just over 35 minutes, and the Timberwolves were able to get just about whatever they wanted on offense against the Lakers defense.
With a lack of rim protection for L.A., I expect Ant to shoot better in Game 2, and he could end up playing more minutes as well. During the regular season, Edwards averaged 27.6 points per game, and he has averaged at least 25.2 points per game in every playoff run in his young career.
