When Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick stepped to the podium to question whether LeBron James benefits the team by playing in every game, it must’ve marked a first. Indeed, these are unprecedented times; James is in the middle of the worst shooting slump of his career, having missed 19 consecutive three-pointers.
The Lakers are coming off an ugly 109-80 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night, and both the team and James will be hoping for a bounce-back performance tonight in Miami as Los Angeles takes on the Heat at 7:30 p.m. ET. Even despite his recent struggles, The King is still having a solid season, averaging 22.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 9.1 assists so far.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, the Lakers (+114) are slight underdogs and the point total is set to 216. Below, I’ve highlighted my favorite prop bet centered around James.
Best LeBron James Prop Bet on DraftKings Sportsbook
LeBron James U21.5 Points (-125)
Unfortunately for Lakers fans, James’ shooting slump looks likely to continue tonight against a strong defensive team that also plays at the league’s third-slowest pace. Miami likes to control the pace of the game on both sides of the ball, which will limit James’ opportunities to shoot. The Heat are also adept at forcing turnovers, which will end Los Angeles possessions early.
A road game against a scrappy defense presents an unlikely opportunity for James to stop his, and the team’s, skid. From a scoring perspective, James has taken a backseat this season to center Anthony Davis, and he has reached his season average of 22 points just eight times in his 21 games, including only once in the last six. And, perhaps most worryingly for Lakers fans, James is getting to the free throw line just 4.5 times per game, a career low.
It’s far too early in the season to write James, or Los Angeles, off. But playing the Heat in Miami is always a challenge, even for the toughest of opponents. For a team and player that are going through an uncharacteristically rough patch, I don’t expect Wednesday night to be any different.
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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.
