The top-seeded Nuggets will look to take a 2-0 series lead at home over the seventh-seeded Lakers tonight in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). Two-time MVP Nikola Jokic had a ridiculous performance in the Nuggets' six-point win in Game 1, posting his sixth triple-double in this year's playoffs with 34 points, 21 rebounds, and 14 assists in 42 minutes. At halftime on Tuesday night, the superstar big man already had a 19-16-7 line.
Jokic has the talent to post a similar stat line, but the Lakers will certainly make their adjustments. No matter what the Lakers do, the 28-year-old center will still play a huge role in Game 2, making his player props all the more enticing.
On SuperDraft, bettors can pick an over/under on two or more player props. If you hit both, you win up to 3X the amount wagered, and the return increases each time you add another prop. Think of it as a "Same Game Parlay." More legs equal more risk, but also a bigger potential payout. However, not all players have the same props, so keep that in mind as you pick your over/under plays and try to win some cash during tonight's game.
One thing to keep in mind is that you can't play more than one prop for a single player in a SuperDraft entry, which is why we ranked the Jokic props below from our favorite to least favorite.
Nikola Jokic SuperDraft Player Prop Picks for Nuggets-Lakers Game 2
Four-star play: OVER 53.5 points + rebounds + assists
At first glance, Jokic's PRA seemed a little too high. However, the two-time MVP has been going to work in the NBA playoffs this season, averaging 54.6 points + rebounds + assists. Jokic has gone OVER 53.5 PRA in eight out of his past 12 postseason games, including four out of his seven home playoff games.
Lakers' star big man Anthony Davis had no answer for Joker in Game 1, as he made contested shots and found his teammates cutting to the basket. Is there a chance Jokic still gets a triple-double but doesn't go OVER his 53.5 PRA? Sure, but given the high number of minutes he'll likely log, we'll take Jokic to again fill the stat sheet.
MORE NUGGETS-LAKERS: Betting preview | Best player props | Best LeBron props
Three-star play: OVER 10.5 assists
If the Lakers are determined to limit Jokic's scoring, it could open up more assist opportunities for the superstar center. In Game 1, the 28-year-old posted seven first-half assists and finished the game with 14 assists. However, Jokic had 21 potential assists on Tuesday, according to NBA.com, which shows how well he saw the floor. He also had 32 assist points created, which was the most for any player in the conference finals.
Jokic has gone OVER 10.5 assists in seven out of his past 12 playoff games. The Lakers must decide if they want to stop Jokic from scoring or try to jump the passing lanes. If Los Angeles wants to limit his touches in the paint, he could cruise OVER this number because that means Denver's sharpshooters are getting open shots.
Two-star play: UNDER 14.5 rebounds
After getting demolished on the boards by Jokic Game 1 on Tuesday night, we'll likely see a more concerted effort from the Lakers tonight to crash the boards. The Lakers held Jokic to 12.8 rebounds per game in the regular season, and in Game 1, the superstar center had just five rebounds in the second half.
Jokic has gone UNDER 14.5 rebounds in seven out of 12 playoff games this season but has gone OVER in four out of seven home playoff games. All in all, we might be sweating this prop out, but for the Lakers to change their fortunes tonight, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Rui Hachimura, and Jarred Vanderbilt have to clean the glass.
One-star play: UNDER 29.5 points
Even though Jokic dropped 34 points in Game 1 and dominated the Lakers, we are leaning slightly toward the UNDER 29.5 points for Game 2. Jokic has gone UNDER 29.5 points in six out of his past 12 playoffs and is averaging 27.7 points per game at home.
Jokic got off to a hot start in the first half of Game 1, which carried over into the third quarter. The Lakers made a key adjustment by putting forward Rui Hachimura on the two-time MVP, which resulted in Jokic only taking two shots in the fourth quarter. It will be interesting to see if the Lakers go back to Hachimura on Jokic tonight and if the Nuggets make the necessary counter. After seeing Jokic's outing in Game 1, LA will try to make the Nuggets' supporting cast beat them.
