The Los Angeles Lakers come out of the All-Star break looking to make a surge over the final third of the 2023-24 NBA season to get into the postseason once again. The Lakers won six of their last seven games prior to the break and will look to carry that momentum into the last stretch.
Here’s a look at the Lakers odds to make the postseason at DraftKings Sportsbook and how you should approach this offering.
Los Angeles Lakers playoff odds: Yes (+105), No (-130)
The Lakers are 30-26, 3.5 games out of the last automatic playoff spot. Given how up and down the West has been, that’s not a big margin to make up. The one concern I’d have is the pristine health both LeBron James and Anthony Davis have had so far. They’ve been playing through throwaway injuries at the moment but it only takes one wrong step for that throwaway issue to spiral out of control. For now, we can assume both will stay relatively healthy with the occasional missed game here and there.
Last season, the Lakers went 9-2 over the final 11 games to get into the play-in game. They have largely the same roster, and there’s a possibility Gabe Vincent does enter the lineup at some point. It’s not out of the question to think LA can make a similar push this season.
Pick: Yes
There are two reasons why I think the Lakers are worth backing to make the playoffs again in 2023-24. The first is the schedule. Even though the Lakers have the Nuggets, Thunder, Timberwolves, Bucks, Suns, Clippers, Warriors twice and Kings twice in the first 12 games after the break, they’re also going to get two games against the Wizards, two against the Grizzlies and games against Brooklyn, Toronto and San Antonio. That’s seven games the Lakers should prevail in and if they can even split the remaining contests, they’ll be in a great spot to get an automatic spot.
The second, and more important reason, is LA made the playoffs out of the play-in tournament last year. The Lakers have made it out of the play-in tournament twice since the idea came to fruition, so they know how to step up in that situation. James remains the trump card most teams can’t use. Give him even a semblance of stakes and he can still turn into the ultimate obstacle for an opponent. The Lakers have enough games to move up the standings and are able to get out of the play-in tournament if they end up in that spot. I’ll take them to make the playoffs.