The Los Angeles Lakers look to get back on track as they visit the shorthanded Dallas Mavericks, who are mired in a five-game losing streak. With Luka Doncic sidelined for at least most of January and Kyrie Irving out for potentially longer than one to two weeks, the Mavericks face an uphill battle to contain LeBron James and the Lakers’ offensive firepower.
Dallas enters Tuesday’s matchup playing the second night of a back-to-back following a double-figure road loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. The Mavericks’ fatigue and lack of depth could present significant challenges.
Here’s a featured James prop bet on DraftKings Sportsbook to consider for Tuesday’s game in Dallas.
Best LeBron James Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
LeBron James Over 39.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-110)
James has been a consistent offensive force for the Lakers this season, averaging 24.0 points per game while serving as the team’s primary playmaker. Since returning from a one-game absence, James has averaged 28.0 points, 8.0 assists and 5.8 rebounds over his last four games. Against a depleted Dallas squad missing Doncic and Irving, James is poised to exploit mismatches and increase his overall production.
With Daniel Gafford sidelined after spraining his ankle Monday night, the Mavericks will rely heavily on Dereck Lively II while potentially needing to deploy a combination of Dwight Powell and Maxi Kleber to handle the backup center position at times. Losing Gafford removes a rim protector when Lively isn’t on the floor, creating a more favorable opportunity for James to attack the paint, dominate the boards and collapse the defense before creating open shots for teammates.
The Lakers, led by Anthony Davis and James, will likely lean on their stars to capitalize on Dallas’ weakened interior defense. Davis, who scored 30 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the loss to Houston, will draw attention inside, freeing James to operate in transition and in the half-court.
Without Doncic or Irving, the Mavericks will rely on Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington and Naji Marshall for scoring, but their ability to keep pace with the Lakers’ offense remains in doubt. Dallas even started its loss against Memphis without a traditional ball handler, with Marshall, Thompson and Washington on the perimeter next to Kleber, with Lively at center. The Mavericks are just at that point amid injuries to Doncic and Irving.
A focal point of the Mavericks’ half-court offense has been running actions to get catch-and-shoot looks or simple pull-ups for Thompson. He shot just 4-of-16 against Memphis, with the rest of the team struggling to score efficiently. Dallas scored only 104 points and shot 40.8% overall with 15 turnovers, allowing three double-figure rebound performances. Playing on tired legs after Monday’s loss to Memphis could exacerbate those issues, giving James an even greater edge to stuff the stat sheet.
Betting on James to exceed 39.5 combined points, rebounds and assists is a favorable option, especially given the matchup. Expect him to set the tone against Dallas’ depleted and fatigued roster to snap the Lakers’ two-game skid.
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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.