The Los Angeles Lakers will attempt to build some momentum before the All-Star Break on Thursday night when they host the struggling Dallas Mavericks at Crypto.com Arena.
The Lakers (32–21, 6th West) have lost back-to-back games against the Thunder and Spurs. While Luka Doncic remains sidelined, LeBron James and Austin Reaves will return to the lineup — the latter continuing his ramp-up after missing a month with a calf strain.
Thursday’s contest presents an opportunity for Reaves to find his rhythm in a favorable matchup against the lowly Mavs (19–34, 12th West), who are mired in an eight-game skid that began with a 116–110 loss to LA on Jan. 24.
Tipoff is set for 10 p.m. ET. Los Angeles enters as a 6.5-point home favorite, while Dallas sits as a +220 underdog. The game’s total is set at 235.5 points.
Ahead of Thursday night’s contest, here’s my favorite Austin Reaves prop bet on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Best Austin Reaves prop bet for Mavericks vs. Lakers
Best Bet: Austin Reaves Over 31.5 Points + Assists (-106)
Austin Reaves is taking an unplanned vacation this weekend. The Lakers standout, averaging 25.7 points, six assists, and 5.1 rebounds per game this season, was on the verge of his first career All-Star selection — until a calf strain cost him 19 games.
Reaves returned earlier this month and has averaged 20.5 points and 4.5 assists in 24.8 minutes across four games, good for 25 combined points and assists a night. Along with three solid-but-unspectacular performances during his ramp-up period, the fourth-year guard erupted for 35 points (12–17 FG, 5–8 3PT) and a pair of dimes against the 76ers last Thursday.
With increased minutes and with a relaxing break on the horizon, Reaves looks well-positioned to reach his average of 31.7 combined points and assists on Thursday night in a favorable matchup against the directionless Mavericks.
Dallas ranks 21st in the NBA in both opponent points and assists this season, and Reaves torched the Mavs for 38 points (12–15 FG, 6–8 3PT) and three assists in late November. That was before the franchise underwent a seismic roster shift by trading former Lakers superstar and defensive anchor Anthony Davis — and on Thursday night, they’ll also be without sparkplug rookie Cooper Flagg.
Without Luka Doncic, expect Reaves to operate alongside LeBron James in orchestrating the offense and remind viewers why he’s an All-Star caliber talent.
