Yes, the Lakers are playing in the Play-In Tournament. No, that doesn't LeBron James isn't fixated on mounting yet another deep playoff run in search of his fifth ring —‚ Lakers NBA title odds, aside.
It's no secret that James has pulled off some of the most improbable feats in the history of NBA basketball. Now he has his sights on another first, trying to help the Lakers become the first NBA Play-In Tournament team to win the NBA Finals. First he'll need to help L.A. down the Pelicans on Tuesday (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT, Sling).
MORE: Updated playoff bracket | Play-In predictions
Winning it all as a seventh or eighth seed may seem like a lofty goal, but King James never met a challenge too big for him. The modern GOAT led Los Angeles to the first NBA Cup earlier this season after opening the In-Season Tournament with +1400 odds. He also helped bring Cleveland its first major championship in 2016, after erasing a 3-1 Finals deficit to Steph Curry and the Warriors.
The Lakers' battle with the Pelicans should be must-see TV, and we can't wait to get in on the action with some wagers. Here's our favorite LeBron player props on BetMGM for Tuesday night's tilt, ranked in order by betting value and win probability.
LeBron James stats projections: Ranking best props picks
LeBron James points – OVER 26.5 (-110)
The NBA's all-time leading scorer dropped 30 points in the Lakers' 2023 Play-In Tournament win over Minnesota, and he recently told reporters that he feels better today than he did prior to L.A.'s run to the 2023 Western Conference Finals.
That's good news, because teammate and expected All-NBA running mate Anthony Davis has been dealing with back, hip, and eye issues. AD has said he will 100 percent be out there competing in New Orleans on Tuesday, but we venture to guess that Bron will be doing a lot of the heavy lifting against the Pels.
When these teams squared off on the last day of the regular season, Bron dropped a casual 28 points. On the season, he averaged 28.3 points per game on insane shooting splits of 55.1/60.0/93.3. Smash the OVER with confidence.
MORE: Could Lakers losing to Pels be a blessing in disguise?
LeBron James assists — OVER 8.5 (-150)
LBJ racked up 15 assists against the Pelicans on Sunday...in the first half. He finished with a season-high 17 dimes, double this over/under projection. Over the Lakers' four regular-season games against NOLA, he averaged 11.6 assists per game.
We simply have to go with the OVER here, even though the -150 feels a little heavy on the juice. His feel for the game and ability to control the rhythm of L.A.'s offense against New Orleans make this prop too intriguing to pass up.
MORE: Latest on Anthony Davis's back, hip
LeBron James rebounds — OVER 7.5 (-135)
Just like Shaq used to play great defense and hit free throws in the biggest games, LeBron crashes the boards when the stakes are the highest. He has grabbed double-digit rebounds in each of the Lakers' past two Play-In Tournament games, and he came down with 11 boards on Sunday against the Pels. We like this OVER almost as much as we like the assists prop.
LeBron James three-pointers — OVER 1.5 (-145)
James shot a career-best 41 percent from long distance this season, and he knocked down 2.1 three-pointers per game. His range helps space the floor for the Lakers, and it also allows him to put up points without taking too much of a toll on his 39-year-old body. Expect Bron to hit at least two triples on Tuesday.
MORE: Bron, AD among Steph Noh's All-NBA picks
LeBron James steals — OVER 1.5 (+130)
If you're dead-set on betting a LeBron defense OVER, bet him to rack up two-plus steals. He has come away with nine thefts over L.A.'s past three games, five of which came on Sunday against the Pels. He has now reached two-plus steals in four of his past five games, and we expect his defensive intensity to only improve in the Play-In.
