The Role Players Props - Nené, Odom and Fisher Game 2

It’s easy to focus on the stars. There are some big ones left in the playoffs: LeBron, Kobe, Melo, Howard. They all stepped up with big games in Game 1, which is why I want to take a look at some of the other guys in tonight’s Lakers-Nuggets game. It looks like the superstars will continue to be incredible (but evenly so), so it’s going to be up to the role players to win games. The BetUS offers NBA bettors tons of options on prop bets, including some that you might ignore. Here’s a few bets that you don’t want to miss:

Nené Total Rebounds

The Line: Rot. Nené Total Rebounds Moneyline

4107 Over 7½ Rebounds -120

4108 Under 7½ Rebounds -110

The Numbers:

Game 1: 5 rebounds

Playoffs: 7.1rpg

Regular Season: 7.8rpg

Vs. Los Angeles (regular season): 6.8rpg

Away (regular season): 7.9rpg

Analysis: Nené is a beast around the hoop. He can finish with the best of them. Unfortunately, that same mentality got him into serious foul trouble in Game 1. Bynum is a quick defender that boxes out well, which limits Nené’s ability to pull offensive boards. On the other end, Gasol is an excellent offensive rebounder, and he’s significantly longer than Nené, so he’s able to steal rebounds overtop. Nené is an explosive scorer, but can’t be counted on to rebound consistently.

Pick: Nené UNDER 7½ Rebounds

Lamar Odom Total Points

The Line: Rot. Lamar Odom Total Points Moneyline

4117 Over 9½ Points -125

4118 Under 9½ Points -105

The Numbers:

Game 1: 7 points

Playoffs: 11.8ppg

Regular Season: 11.3ppg

Vs. Denver (regular season): 10.5ppg

Home (regular season): 10.5ppg

Analysis: Lamar Odom is one of the most enigmatic, frustrating players in the league. He can dominate a game and he can disappear while on the court. Odom had an unbelievable series against Utah, averaging 17.8ppg. Against Houston, he only scored 8.3ppg, and he had only 7 in Game 1 against the Nuggets despite playing 33 minutes. It’s easy to see why Odom struggled. The frontcourt of the Nuggets is extremely strong and extremely aggressive. Martin has been reborn as a defensive menace (something he always possessed the physical tools to be), Birdman has perhaps the quickest timing in the league (and some sick hops too), and Nené is just a beast. Lamar’s offense is all about him being aggressive, not settling for contested jumpers. Denver takes that aggressiveness away from him with their physicality. You also have to figure that Odom’s injured back is still bothering him, as back spasms and their causes have a tendency to linger.

Pick: Lamar Odom UNDER 9½ Points -105

Derek Fisher Total Points

The Line: Rot. Derek Fisher Total Points Moneyline

4119 Over 10½ Points -115

4120 Under 10½ Points -115

The Numbers:

Game 1: 13 points

Playoffs: 7.7ppg

Regular Season: 9.9ppg

Vs. Denver (regular season): 7.3ppg

Home (regular season): 9.8ppg

Analysis: Yes, Derek Fisher had a breakout game of sorts last night. He hit a couple of big threes near the end of the game. Is it time to declare the slump over? Obviously, the bookmakers think that it is. I’m not so sure. He’s been dreadful in the playoffs, scoring only 7.7ppg. But even if he’s off the schneid, should we really think that he’ll get 11+ points. He didn’t average that in the regular season, and he’s got two backups that are playing pretty well now (Farmar and Brown). Plus, he’s been miserable against the Nuggets, who basically have three guys that can shut him down: Jones, Billups, and even J.R. Smith. Fisher is just not the toughest cover, so the question is how many wide open looks will Kobe get him, and how many will he convert. I’m just not ready to declare the return of Fish.

Pick: Derek Fisher UNDER 10½ Points -115