All focus of the NBA world will be in Dallas as Luka Doncic and the Lakers return to his former city for the first time. LeBron James will be caught in the middle of this highly emotional matchup and will be looking to help steer the Lakers past the Mavericks with the playoff race in the Western Conference in full swing.
There will be plenty of attention paid to the likes of Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis, but LeBron James continues to produce at a high level. The 40-year-old is averaging 24.5 points, 8.3 assists, and 7.9 rebounds per game.
The Lakers are 4.5-point favorites and -205 on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook for tonight’s matchup. The Mavericks hold +170 odds on the Moneyline with the game total set at 229.
With the stage set, here are my favorite LeBron James prop bets ahead of the Wednesday night thriller.
Best LeBron James Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
James’ props are listed at over/under 24.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 1.5 made three-pointers and 38.5 combined points, rebounds and assists.
LeBron James over 7.5 Rebounds (+124)
The biggest concern surrounding this Lakers team following the massive midseason roster shakeup is their lack of interior production. Anthony Davis has left some huge shoes to fill at the big man position and Jaxson Hayes nor any other big man on the roster can fully fill these. This will be especially problematic against a team like the Mavericks who have shifted their identity into being one of the strongest interior defenses in the league.
It will take a focused team effort to win the rebounding battle tonight and expect LeBron James to lead the charge. On the season James is averaging 7.9 rebounds per game and his output has increased to 8.4 per game since the trade initially occurred. The 21-time All-Star has recorded over 7.5 rebounds in 32 of the 68 games he has played this season. He also has produced rebounding outputs of 10 and 12 in the two games against the Mavericks already this season.
James is capable of impacting the game in whatever way he sees fit and expect this to involve rebounding the basketball tonight. The Lakers rank 15th in total rebounding since losing Davis in the trade and James has done a nice job helping to fill the void. Look for this effort to be on full display tonight as they match up with the strong interior presence of this Dallas roster. Count on James to rise to the occasion and pull in over 7.5 rebounds tonight.
LeBron James to Record 3+ Made Three-Pointers (+150)
Another area where James has excelled this season is beyond the three-point arc. The four-time NBA Champion is shooting 38.1% on three-point attempts this season while launching 5.7 perimeter shots per game. This comes out to an average of 2.2 made three-pointers per contest.
The standard prop line for James’ made three-pointers is set at 1.5 with the over favored at -180 odds. He has made two or more three-pointers in 40 of the 68 games he has played. However, I like taking it a step further for James to connect with three or more three-pointers tonight which he has accomplished in 22 games this season.
While he shot just 3-for-8 from beyond the three-point arc in the two previous matchups with the Mavericks, this will be the first game with Anthony Davis on the floor. Expect this to change the plan of attack with Dallas finally beginning to see the interior defense they want as the foundation of their identity. This should directly translate to more opportunities from the perimeter with Dallas ranking 20th in opponents’ three-point percentage this season.
James shot 3-for-6 from beyond the three-point arc last night against the Thunder and also was 5-for-8 on three-point attempts against the Warriors earlier this week. Look for him to carry this effort into tonight’s game and take what the defense gives him by knocking down three or more three-pointers tonight.
