Every season, in late January and early February, the Lakers go on the “Grammy Trip”, when Crypto.com Arena will play host to the Grammy Awards, set for February 1. Things tend to happen on the Grammy Trip: last season, Los Angeles had one game remaining in its Grammy Trip when it agreed to deal for Luka Dončić. It’s unlikely that anything of that magnitude will happen in the remaining five games of the Lakers’ 2026 Grammy Trip, but it’s expected that shooting guard Austin Reaves will return at some point.
That won’t happen tonight when Los Angeles faces the Chicago Bulls at the United Center at 8 p.m. ET, but it could happen soon. At that point, the Lakers will be as healthy as they’ve been all season, as the only other player out tonight, rookie Adou Thiero (knee), isn’t part of their rotation. The Bulls’ two players with an “Out” designation (backup center Zach Collins and rookie Noa Essengue) haven’t been factors this season, but point guard Tre Jones, who’s doubtful with a hamstring strain, would be a huge loss.
The game is as close to a pure toss-up as it gets, with Los Angeles -118 on the Moneyline and Chicago -102. Below, I’ve laid out my three player prop bets from tonight’s game.
Luka Dončić 3+ Points 1st Three Minutes (+105)
Dončić has led Los Angeles on three big comebacks in the last three games, and though the Lakers’ rally ultimately fell short against the LA Clippers on Thursday, his 38 points were enough to beat the Denver Nuggets last Tuesday and his 33 enough to beat the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday. In the game against Denver, he set the tone early, recording seven points in the first three minutes, and he’s recorded at least three in four of his last 10 games while attempting sufficient shots to score that many in eight of the 10.
Those shots should have a better chance of going in against the Bulls, given that they’ve recorded the league’s 10th-worst defensive rating even since December 17, a span in which they’re 13-7. Across this span, Chicago has allowed an above-average field goal percentage and the league’s eighth-highest three-point percentage. The Bulls have allowed a Dončić-friendly shot diet, allowing the sixth-most shot attempts in the restricted area in the last 20 games, and Dončić has been the third-most accurate of the 173 players to attempt at least 75 layups this season.
Coby White 6+ Assists (+128)
White has recorded six or more assists in three of his last six games, including the dish to Kevin Huerter in the corner for Huerter’s game-winner against the Boston Celtics on Saturday night. Chicago’s offense operates mostly through Josh Giddey and Jones, but he could have a slightly higher load with Jones injured and Giddey still on a minutes restriction as he works his way back from a hamstring strain of his own. He made a team-leading 46 passes and had 12 potential assists in the win over Boston, so he should be expected to put up similar numbers tonight.
White should have plenty of opportunities to flash his playmaking skills against an awful Los Angeles defense. Since the start of December — a span that, at this point, comprises more than half the season — the Lakers have had the league’s fourth-worst defensive rating, and though the raw numbers don’t look as awful because they’ve operated at a bottom-10 pace, they’ve still allowed the 12th-most points and the seventh-most assists. A ball movement-heavy offense like the Bulls’ is a bad fit against a mobility-limited Los Angeles defense, and White should be well-suited to take advantage.
Nikola Vučević U1.5 Three-Pointers Made (-128)
The one thing the Lakers have done well defensively over the last two months is closing out on opposing three-point shooters. Since Reaves went down with his back-to-back calf strains on December 14, Los Angeles has managed to allow the fourth-fewest wide-open threes per game. It has also allowed the fifth-fewest above-the-break threes and the third-fewest catch-and-shoot threes.
That should work well against Vučević, who has made two or more threes in only three of his last eight games. Almost all of his threes are of the catch-and-shoot variety — he attempts a team-high 4.5 per game — and almost all are wide-open and from above the break. Plus, given how awful the Lakers’ interior defense is — since December 14, they’ve allowed a league-high 73.4% from the restricted area — there’s less incentive for Vučević to emphasize spreading the floor.
