LeBron James continues setting records, as he climbed to the top of two more leaderboards last week. On Thursday, he broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 35-year-old minutes played record, and two days later, he passed Kareem again with his 1,510th double-digit scoring game. And, having recorded three consecutive wins against quality opponents, the Los Angeles Lakers are actually playing watchable basketball again, climbing to 16-12, good for sixth in the Western Conference.
James, who turns 40 in a week, is averaging 23.0 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 8.9 assists on 49-35-75 shooting splits as the Lakers will hope to extend their win streak to four when they welcome the Detroit Pistons to Crypto.com Arena for a 10:30 p.m. ET clash.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Los Angeles (-225) is a heavy favorite and the point total is set to 223. Below, I’ve highlighted my favorite prop bets centered around The King.
Best LeBron James Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
LeBron James O24.5 Points (-110)
After a career-worst shooting slump in early December, James took about a week away from the team, missing the Lakers’ December 8 win over the Portland Trail Blazers and December 13 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Since then, he has appeared rejuvenated and shot the ball better, dropping 32 points in Saturday’s win over the Kings. In the last five games, Los Angeles has been buoyed by the insertion of Max Christie, a low-usage, defensive-oriented shooting guard, into the starting lineup. Since the personnel change, the Lakers have allowed 99.2 points per 100 possessions, the best in basketball.
Meanwhile, after a decent start to the season, Detroit has struggled in recent weeks. The Pistons have still won four of their last 10 games, but they’re doing it mostly behind the offensive exploits of star point guard Cade Cunningham. Detroit’s defense has fallen apart, as it has allowed 121.5 points per game over its last 10 games, the worst rate in basketball. Los Angeles’ offensive struggles have continued — it has the worst offensive rating in the league in December — but with a mostly healthy Lakers team around him, James should do just enough on Monday night.
LeBron James O1.5 Steals + Blocks (-135)
Prior to The King’s absence, he was suffering through one of the worst defensive seasons of his career — with a 118 defensive rating — and had a team-low plus-minus. Since his return, however, he has looked more engaged on the less glamorous side of the ball, giving up just 100 points per 100 possessions in the last three games and averaging 1.5 steals and 0.5 blocks per game.
Meanwhile, the Pistons are one of the sloppiest offensive teams in the league in possession. For all of his offensive brilliance, point guard Cade Cunningham ranks third in the league with 4.5 turnovers per game, and teammate Jaden Ivey (2.9) isn’t far behind. As a team, Detroit allows opponents to rack up 9.8 steals per game, more than all but two teams. The Pistons are a little better at block avoidance, but their 4.9 blocks per game allowed is merely league average. Meanwhile, James has recorded at least two combined steals and blocks in two of his three games since his return.
The Crown Is Yours: Sign up for DraftKings and experience the ultimate host for games and betting experiences!
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.
