Partner Content | Best NBA prop picks November 28: Count on Haliburton to put up points

While the Los Angeles Lakers’ star power ensures a respectable floor on offence, the team’s defence is another matter.

Just nine teams allow their opponents to score more points per game than Los Angeles (114.4), and the team is especially vulnerable to point guards. The Lakers are allowing the second most points per game to the position (26.9).

Enter Haliburton, who’s breaking out as a scorer this season. This line is below his average total (19.6) and he’s cleared it in 13 of his 19 appearances this year.

An average day at the office would see the emerging star clear this total, but he’s likely to do better than that against the Lakers — especially with Patrick Beverley out of the lineup.

The more time Haliburton is guarded by Russell Westbrook, the higher his points total is likely to be.

Key stat: In the four games Beverley has missed, point guards facing the Lakers have averaged 20 points per game and hit this over three times.

Quick picks

LaVine over 22.5 points (-112): This isn’t a line LaVine has cleared with regularity this year, but we’re willing to bet on an offensive outburst based on his opponent. The Utah Jazz are missing Mike Conley, which means a backcourt of Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson.

That duo is both undersized and offensively oriented — to put it charitably. We see LaVine having a day against a backcourt ill-equipped to slow him down.

The Jazz’s team defence is also unimpressive, allowing the eighth-most points in the NBA on a per-game basis (115.6).

Rozier under 21.5 points (-107): Rozier has been filling the bucket this year, but this line asks him to top his season average (20.5 points) against a team with strong perimeter defence, led by reigning Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart.

Rozier has consistently been shut down by Smart and the Celtics whenever he faces his former team. In nine games against Boston, he’s averaged just 16.8 points per game and shot just 36.6% from the field.

Only the Phoenix Suns have held him to worse shooting efficiency, and the Celtics are likely to show they have the blueprint for keeping him under wraps again on Monday.

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