The Los Angeles Lakers are set to host the Dallas Mavericks Thursday night in the last game before the All-Star Break, which fittingly tips off across town in Inglewood this weekend.
The Lakers (32–21, 6th West) have dropped back-to-back games against the Thunder and Spurs. While Luka Doncic remains sidelined, LeBron James and Austin Reaves are expected to rejoin the lineup in a favorable matchup against Dallas. The Mavericks (19–34, 12th West) have dropped eight straight contests, a brutal stretch that began with a 116–110 loss to LA on Jan. 24.
Before LeBron suits up for potentially his last ever All-Star Game, can he help the Lakers build some momentum heading into the break?
Tipoff is set for 10 p.m. ET. Los Angeles enters as a 6.5-point home favorite, while Dallas sits as a +250 underdog. The game’s total is set at 236.5 points.
Ahead of Thursday night’s contest, here’s my favorite LeBron James prop bet on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Best LeBron James prop bet for Mavericks vs. Lakers
Best Bet: LeBron James 9+ Assists (-103)
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer has always considered himself a pass-first player. It’s a testament to his basketball IQ — perhaps the best the game has ever seen — that even at 41, LeBron James remains an elite playmaker.
James has averaged 6.9 assists across 35 games this season in an offense now driven by superstar guard Luka Doncic. But with Doncic nursing a hamstring injury, the four-time MVP has returned to his role as the team’s masterful conductor.
He’s averaging nine assists in five games without Doncic this season, and he’s dished out double-digit dimes in three straight outings.
Flanked by a returning Austin Reaves, along with sharpshooters Rui Hachimura and newly acquired Luke Kennard, James looks poised to rack up at least nine assists against the sputtering Mavericks.
Dallas ranks 21st in the NBA in both opponent points and assists this season and has struggled to force turnovers. The team limps into LA with a laundry list of injuries, including star rookie Cooper Flagg, and major roster turnover after shipping off Anthony Davis before last week’s trade deadline.
Arguably the best passer of all time, expect LeBron to orchestrate LA’s offense and carve up Dallas’s porous coverage on Thursday night.
