Perhaps it shouldn’t have been close last night for the Los Angeles Lakers when they traveled to Salt Lake City to take on the struggling Utah Jazz, who fell to 4-16 with the 105-104 loss. A win is a win, even if it took Utah head coach Will Hardy icing his own team.
The Lakers will have to be better on Monday night if they hope to steal a win in the second half of a back-to-back, as they will travel to Minnesota to do battle with the Timberwolves. Minnesota is off to a slow start this season, sitting at just 9-10 and in 11th place in the Western Conference, but last season’s conference finalists have still shown flashes of firepower.
If Los Angeles wants to dash the Timberwolves’ hopes of getting back to the .500 plateau, it will require a vintage performance from LeBron James. It’s been a solid start to the season for The King, who’s averaging 22.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 9.4 assists per game this season.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, the Lakers (+270) are heavy underdogs and the point total is set to 219. Below, I’ve highlighted my favorite prop bet centered around James.
Best LeBron James Prop Bet on DraftKings Sportsbook
LeBron James U1.5 Three-Pointers Made (+105)
It seems logical that with the league’s second-most fearsome rim protector, four-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, manning the middle, Minnesota’s opponents would fire away from three. But with a few long-armed defenders stationed on the wings — including 2023-24 All-Defensive honoree Jaden McDaniels — the Timberwolves actually allow the second-fewest three point attempts of any team.
This doesn’t bode well for James, whose hot shooting to open the season has cooled down as of late. The King is 0-for-15 from distance in his last three games, with an especially futile performance last night in Salt Lake City, where he went 0-for-9. He’s hit multiple threes in just three of his last nine games, and it will be difficult for him to get up the requisite number of attempts on Monday against a Minnesota team that plays at the seventh-slowest pace in the league. It will also be the Lakers’ fifth game in the past seven days, so for the 39-year-old James, fatigue may be a factor.
Monday’s matchup will be a critical one between two teams hoping to escape the morass of the cramped Western Conference standings, and I expect the Lakers to look better than they did in Utah. However, given his recent poor form and an unfavorable opponent, fans shouldn’t be expecting a barrage from distance for James.
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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook, lines and odds subject to change.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
