There aren’t many sports rivalries as historic as the Lakers vs. Celtics. The two are the winningest franchises in NBA history. From Bill Russell vs. Wilt Chamberlain to Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant vs. Paul Pierce and company, the teams have plenty of history.
They’ll write a new chapter on Thursday with their first regular season matchup of the 2024-25 season. LeBron James and Anthony Davis will go head-to-head with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. While the Celtics have higher expectations this season, their recent stretch indicates this game should be close.
The Lakers are five-point underdogs and the game total is 218.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Below, I have featured my favorite James prop bets to consider from this contest.
Best LeBron James Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
LeBron James over 22.5 points (-110)
Celtics vs. Lakers is always a notable matchup no matter the time of season or their records. The historic value is too great. James will live up to the moment in the first of two matchups this season.
James is averaging 23.7 points per game this season, which is a drop from his career averages, but he’s still among the best players in the league. While he’s not expected to score 30 points on a nightly basis, James will live up to the moment in big games.
Tonight is one of those important games. This could be one of his final games against the Celtics, so it’s key he steps up to the plate. The 22.5 points line is an easy cash for James, who is averaging 23.7 this year. He’s hit the mark in 18 of 38 games this year.
The Celtics allow the sixth fewest points per game to opposing teams, but James shouldn’t have trouble hitting 23 points. He’s one of the few NBA players that can outdo any defense — even at 40 years old.
This will be James’ first matchup with the Celtics since Christmas Day in 2023. He scored just 16 points in that outing, which is uncharacteristic of him. In the two years prior, James averaged 37 and 26.5 points per game against the Celtics. A 37-point game is a bit far-fetched, but it’s not outlandish to expect James to surpass 22.5 points tonight.