NBA fans will be treated to a Western Conference clash on Friday night when the Thunder visit the Lakers. Los Angeles enters the contest as three-point underdogs, but they do possess the dynamic two-man duo of Anthony Davis and LeBron James. Given how well the latter has played this season (22.9 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 9.3 APG), the four-time MVP is still a nightly triple-double threat. Ahead of this crucial early season showdown, here is the best LeBron prop to back tonight on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Best LeBron James Props on DraftKings Sportsbook
Although James is always going to get plenty of touches, Friday’s game is no walk in the park. The Thunder are giving up the second-fewest points in the association (103.8 PPG), and they’ve only gotten better since center Isaiah Hartenstein made his season debut last week. While the Lakers are a better shooting team than in years past, this is still a group that loves to attack the basket. However, Oklahoma City is allowing the fewest points in the paint (41.7 PPG).
Still, LeBron almost always finds a way to produce, and that shouldn’t change tonight. Over his last five matchups against OKC, The King has averaged 28.6 points, 8.8 rebounds and 6.0 assists. Even though he’s failed to reach 20 points in each of his last three outings this season, James has contributed in other ways, including a triple-double during Wednesday’s game against San Antonio. With that in mind, backing the future Hall of Famer as a scorer might not be the correct move.
Instead, James could deliver value on the glass. For all their positives, the Thunder are the NBA’s worst rebounding team, giving up 59.1 boards per game to opposing squads. While Hartenstein’s return has helped a bit, Oklahoma City is still surrendering 55.0 RPG since his return. In a physical, defensively-minded matchup, LeBron is more than capable of flirting with another double-double.
Best Bet: LeBron James over 7.5 rebounds (-120)
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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook, lines and odds subject to change.
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