Follow along on Twitter (@julianedlow) for any potential updates — things can always change with potential lineup moves leading up to tipoff. Here’s what jumps out to me for Game 2 of the NBA Finals on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Milwaukee Bucks at Phoenix Suns
DeAndre Ayton OVER 29.5 Points/Rebounds/Assists (-134)
Ayton’s postseason dominance continued into Game 1 of the NBA Finals, just missing a 20-20 outing. The big man finished with 22 points and 19 boards on Tuesday, playing 39 minutes in the Phoenix victory. With Dario Saric (torn ACL) out for the series, and Frank Kaminsky playing just four minutes as the backup center in Game 1, it might be time for Ayton to see 40-plus minutes.
The matchup here really plays into Ayton’s favor, regardless of what kind of adjustments the Bucks make entering this game. Brook Lopez is the obvious choice to cover him on defense, but that matchup worked strongly in Ayton’s favor early in the game, and then after Lopez was benched for his defense, Ayton was able to own the paint against a smaller lineup. Game 1 was no fluke, I’ll play the over here even with the slight uptick and the juice.
Brook Lopez UNDER 13.5 Points (-134)
On the flip side, losing Lopez unders in Game 1 was a bit of a bad beat. As I mentioned, Milwaukee had trouble functioning with him on the floor, strictly for defensive purposes. The Bucks would switch every pick, which meant a lot of Bro-Lo on Chris Paul and Devin Booker. It did not go well for Brook.
In the end, Lopez played just 23 minutes, but was 3-for-5 from downtown, scoring 17 points. I’m not counting on a repeat performance here. And if the Bucks run that small-ball lineup that helped them make a late surge in game 1 for more minutes tonight, then less playing time always helps with our unders. Lopez averaged just 8.5 points in the two regular season games against Phoenix, so it’s a matchup he’s struggled in outside of Game 1.
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