PropBetGuy: Bet Norman Powell Prop in Mavericks vs. Clippers Game 5 (Wednesday, May 1)

PropBetGuy will break down his favorite NBA play of the day and will track all his bets in the Action Network app.

With the series between the Clippers and Mavericks knotted up at two games apiece, the teams shift back to Los Angeles for a pivotal Game 5.

The Clippers will once again be without their leading scorer, Kawhi Leonard. Amongst the players I expect to step up in his absence is sharp-shooter Norman Powell.

Powell has admittedly had a quiet series – outside of a 21-point performance in Game 3, he’s failed to clear this line in the other three contests.

However, the playoffs are all about adjustments, and I expect the Mavericks to adjust their coverages on the Clippers’ pick-and-roll, especially after James Harden and Paul George torched Dallas for 66 points collectively in Game 4 (including an unsustainable 11-of-15 on 3-pointers).

Powell cleared this line in 36-of-47 games this regular season when playing at least 26 minutes. His per-32 minute (my projection for tonight) average this regular season was 16.9 points. Yes, the playoffs are a different animal, but Powell has been a consistent contributor all season.

The Mavericks grade out average-to-below-average defensively against both spot-up shooting and transition points, both of which are Powell’s preferred playtypes. I do expect a bit more pressure on George and Harden tonight, which should open up Powell for clean looks.

The Clippers will need secondary scoring tonight, and I see that coming from the UCLA alum. I have Powell projected at 14 points tonight.

Pick: Norman Powell Over 11.5 Points (-118) | Play to 12.5