All eyes in the basketball world are set to be in Los Angeles tonight as a new era begins with Luka Doncic set to make his Lakers debut. LeBron James will suit up for his first game with his new co-star as the Lakers take on the Utah Jazz.
There will be plenty of buzz in the building with expectations having changed for this Lakers team in a major way. Luka Doncic has not suited up since Christmas due to a calf injury. The focus of James and the rest of the team will surely be on getting him on the same page as quickly as possible.
Looking at the production of LeBron James, he continues to put up one of the greatest fights with Father Time that we have ever seen. The 40-year-old is averaging 24.5 points, 9.0 assists, and 7.8 rebounds across his 34.7 minutes per game. This is a favorable matchup for the Lakers as they face a 12-39 Jazz team that ranks 28th in opponents points allowed.
The Lakers enter this game as 12-point favorites and -750 on the Moneyline. The Jazz hold +525 odds on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook with the game total set at 236.
With the stage set, here are my favorite LeBron James prop bets ahead of the Monday night matchup.
Best LeBron James Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
LeBron James’ props are listed at over/under 26.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 1.5 made three-pointers, and 41.5 combined points, rebounds and assists.
LeBron James to record 9+ Assists (+120)
All eyes will be on how Luka Doncic and LeBron James play off each other tonight. Expect James to lead the charge from a playmaking perspective and look to make life easy on his new teammate. Even with the new addition, the 20-time All-Star is averaging 9.0 assists per game this season and has recorded nine or more assists in 23 of the 46 games he has played. He’ll continue to dish the rock at a high level.
The assists prop line for James is set at 7.5 for this game, with the over favored at -160 odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. I also took a look at a double-double for James but the payout for this is +105 odds. While there is some security in cashing this if James records 10 rebounds, playmaking is the primary area to expect his focus in.
This will be the third matchup between these two teams this season. In the previous two games against the Jazz, James has logged 12 and 14 assists. He also has hit this number in four of the past five games and will be coming off extended rest after missing the previous matchup against the Pacers. Expect James to be focused on commanding the offense and creating for Doncic and others to the tune of at least nine assists tonight.
LeBron James to record 3+ Made Three-Pointers (+145)
The years of perimeter shooting being a weakness in LeBron James’ game are in the rearview mirror. The four-time champion has quietly turned himself into one of the better shooters in basketball, with this becoming increasingly important in the later stages of his career. James is shooting 39.1% from beyond the three-point arc this season while attempting 5.6 three-pointers per game. He also shot a career-high 41.0% from beyond the three-point arc last year on similar volume.
The three-point prop line for James is set at 1.5 made three-pointers, with the over-favored at -175 odds. While I certainly believe he will reach this total as well, getting +145 odds for the Future Hall of Famer to connect on three or more perimeter shots is great value. James is averaging 2.2 made three-pointers per game and has made three or more long-range shots in 14 games this year. This includes two of the past three games, with James shooting 6-for-9 on three-point attempts in his previous contest against the Warriors.
While he shot a combined 1-for-14 across the first two matchups with the Jazz, don’t expect this lack of efficiency to continue. Utah ranks dead-last in the league in three-point attempts allowed, conceding 40.4 perimeter shots per game, and James’ 7.1% three-point shooting percentage across these two games is a significant outlier.
Expect James to take advantage of one of the weaknesses in the Jazz defense by being active from beyond the three-point arc. He has played with an increased physicality and motor in recent games which will only increase with the energy set to be in the building tonight. Count on James to be active across the box score and connect on at least three three-pointers tonight.
