The Dallas Mavericks travel to Target Center to face the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals, as we offer our best Luka Doncic player props predictions based on the best NBA odds for Friday's contest.
Ahead of Game 1, there was a lot of talk about how Luka Doncic would be able to decrypt the Minnesota Timberwolves' top-ranked defense. His response? A cool 33 points to lead all scorers in the Dallas Mavericks' 108-105 comeback win at Target Center in Minneapolis.
The Timberwolves are 5-point favorites to beat the Mavericks in Friday's Game 2, which tips off at 8:30 p.m. ET (TNT/truTV), even with Dallas favored to win the series with the second-shortest NBA championship odds of the four teams remaining.
Despite Doncic's scintillating series debut, our best sports betting sites are skeptical that the Mavericks star can keep it up in Game 2. Can the Timberwolves contain one of the favorites by the NBA Finals MVP odds, or will he make them pay once again?
In addition to our Mavericks vs. Timberwolves player props, here are our best Luka Doncic NBA player props predictions for Friday's Mavericks vs. Timberwolves matchup (odds via our best NBA betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Luka Doncic odds, player props
- Luka Doncic Over 28.5 points (-108 via DraftKings) ????
- Luka Doncic Over 8.5 assists (-108 via DraftKings) ????
- Luka Doncic Over 1.5 steals (-105 via DraftKings) ???
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Is Doncic finally back? After a nagging knee injury hampered him in the f irst and second rounds, the All-NBA guard sliced and diced his way through the Timberwolves' defense to score 33 points – including 15 in the fourth quarter alone – in his second-best effort of the postseason.
The key was Doncic's ability to manipulate the Timberwolves' vaunted defense in the mid range: 18 of his 33 points were from 2-point range, and the Mavericks shot 78% at the rim as a team. The result was Doncic's third straight game with at least 29 points, and his 26 attempts were tied for the most in these playoffs.
I'm as high on Minnesota's defense as anyone, but I'm not sure I see the adjustment to keep Doncic out of the paint, especially with teammate Kyrie Irving (30 points) cooking in his own right. These -108 odds are the best on the market and would profit $9.26 on a $10 wager, per our odds converter.
Best odds: -108 via DraftKings
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Doncic finished with eight assists on Wednesday, but it felt like he could have had even more with how effortlessly he manipulated Minnesota's defense.
While he was aggressive finding his shot in the fourth quarter, Doncic spent much of the first three quarters baiting the Timberwolves' bigs away from the rim before lobbing it to Dereck Lively and Daniel Gafford. That play has become a staple of the Mavericks' offense, and it's virtually unguardable when executed properly.
Minnesota tried to force the ball out of Doncic's hands late in the game with aggressive traps and blitzes. If that happens again – and he's prepared for it – it could even help his chances of finding open shooters as he's done all postseason long.
Doncic had posted 10-plus assists in three straight games before Wednesday, and he's cleared this total in nine of 13 playoff games, even as he played through injury. Once again, DraftKings is offering the best price on a prop with -115 odds or worse across the rest of our best sportsbooks.
Best odds: -108 via DraftKings
For all that Doncic did right on the offensive end in Game 1, he also played arguably the best defense of his entire career. That included picking up a game-high three steals, tied for his most in a game this postseason.
Defensive props are notoriously volatile, but Doncic has finished with two or more steals in six of his last seven games, and his contribution on that end was pivotal to the Mavericks stealing Game 1 on the road. I'd expect another active effort from Dallas' star guard on Friday, making this a compelling play at decent -108 odds.
Best odds: -108 via DraftKings
Luka Doncic player props picks made Thursday at 5:45 p.m. ET.
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