The NBA All-Star break officially ends tonight when the Hornets visit the Lakers. Charlotte enters Wednesday’s contest with a 13-39 record and little left to play for. However, the continued growth of point guard LaMelo Ball has given fans plenty of reasons to watch. The 23-year old has emerged as one of the association’s most prolific scorers, averaging 27.3 points per game this season. Still, an upset win will be difficult against Los Angeles’ dynamic duo of LeBron James and Luka Doncic.
L.A. enters tonight’s contest as 12-point favorites, with the over/under set at 228 points. Here’s the best Ball prop bet to play on DraftKings Sportsbook before Wednesday’s game tips off.
LaMelo Ball best prop bet for February 19
Despite his All-Star game snub, it’s been a terrific 2024-25 campaign for Ball. The fifth-year pro leads Charlotte in points (27.3) and assists (7.2) per game. The two biggest knocks on him as a player are efficiency and availability. Over the course of just 33 games, Ball has shot 41.6% from the field (33.8 3PT%). Still, poor shooting is inevitable on a Hornets team severely lacking difference-makers on offense. The former Rookie of the Year leads the NBA in usage rate this season (37.3%).
An already mediocre Lakers defense got even worse by trading Anthony Davis to the Mavericks. This season, Los Angeles has allowed 114.3 points per game, 11th-most in the NBA. The Purple and Gold have struggled mightily on the perimeter, surrendering the seventh-most assists per game to opponents (27.6). Even an offensively-limited Hornets squad should find some room to score on Wednesday.
When these two teams last met in January, Ball suffered a mid-game ankle sprain. Over the guard’s previous five meetings with the Lakers, he put up 23.6 points and 6.8 assists per game. Los Angeles’ defense has only gotten worse since then; the middle of the paint should be wide open without Davis.
LaMelo isn’t typically thought of as a pass-first point guard, nor should he be. Regardless, the former All-Star will have the ball in his hands for the majority of Wednesday’s contest. The Lakers, lacking the personnel to guard him one-on-one, should send plenty of double teams. Expect Ball to serve up some dimes for his wide-open Charlotte teammates.
Best Bet: LaMelo Ball over 6.5 assists (-110)
