DraftKings Unveils Triple-Double Bets, LeBron James, Luka Doncic Top Board

Posted on: February 20, 2020, 10:11h. 

Last updated on: February 20, 2020, 11:34h.

Todd Shriber @etfgodfather Read More
Expertise: Financial, Gaming Business, Mergers and Acquisitions.

DraftKings is now offering proposition bets on what player will lead the NBA this year in triple-doubles – the statistical anomaly most often accrued via double digital totals per game in assists, points, and rebounds.

DraftKings is now taking triple-double bets with LeBron James and Luka Doncic atop the board. (Image: Silver Screen and Roll)

The association resumes play tonight following the All-Star break. LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic lead the league with 12 triple-doubles apiece. Neither of those teams play Thursday night.

Triple-double wagering is now available in the legalized U.S. #sportsbetting market and @DKSportsbook has set the odds through the rest of the @NBA season, with @KingJames and @luka7doncic as the favorites,” said the sportsbook operator in a tweet earlier today.

James is -106 (bet $106 to win $100) to win the triple-double tussle, while Doncic is +105 (bet $100 to win $105). Part of the edge for James may be tied to scheduling. The Lakers have played 53 games while the Mavericks have played 55. The NBA regular season is 82 contests. Los Angeles had a game postponed in January following the passing of legend Kobe Bryant.

Increasing Frequency

As the NBA’s style of play has changed in recent years, the number of triple-doubles have increased. During the 2018-19 season, players generated 352 instances of the statistical phenomenon, up from just 75 in the 2015-16 campaign.

The shift to more three-point shooting is one reason why the number of triple-doubles is rising. Missed shots from distance create long rebounds, enabling guards, such as Doncic and Houston Rockets star Russell Westbrook, to grab more boards. DraftKings lists Westbrook at 20-1, or +2000, to take home the triple-double crown this year.

Westbrook, who has accomplished the feat twice, and Milwaukee Bucks Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson are the only players in league history to average triple-doubles on a per-game basis over the course of a season.

However, some basketball historians contend that if blocks were counted as an official statistic during Wilt Chamberlain’s career, he would have averaged a seasonal triple-double on multiple occasions. He retired in 1973 and the NBA didn’t use blocks as an official statistic until the 1973-74 season.

Blocks and steals count toward accumulation of a triple-double. The most-often accomplished variety of the feat is at least 10 assists, points, and rebounds.

Officially, there have been four quadruple-doubles in league history, with the most recent being notched by David Robinson of the San Antonio Spurs in 1994.

Other Contenders

Gamblers looking for some triple-double value on DraftKings may want to look at Nikola Jokic of the Nuggets. The sportsbook operator lists the Serbian big man at +400, and he’s got 11 triple-doubles, just one behind Doncic and James.

Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons and Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, the reigning MVP, are slotted at +5000 and +10000, respectively, by DraftKings.

The sportsbook operator is also offering triple-double totals on each of the aforementioned, current players.

Antetokounmpo, Simmons, and Westbrook are “plus money” to go over their totals of 6.5, 9.5 and 13.5, respectively, according to DraftKings data.