We’ve got a thriller scheduled for tonight in Phoenix — the Los Angeles Lakers will visit the Phoenix Suns, and you can tune into the action live on ESPN. The Lakers have listed Anthony Davis as questionable, while the Suns have ruled out Devin Booker but are expected to have Bradley Beal. With so many other stars dealing with injuries, let’s dive into the LeBron James player prop odds for tonight as we look to identify the best bet for this evening’s Lakers-Suns game. If you’re hungry for more action, check out our guide to NBA player prop betting as well.
LeBron James Player Prop: Best Lakers-Suns Bet Today
LeBron James wasn’t supposed to be playing this much. Head coach Darvin Ham said that he wanted James to play between 28 to 30 minutes back in October, and for one game, it looked like that meant something: James played just 29 minutes in the opener. He has played between 28 and 30 minutes just one other time all season, logging just 27 minutes in a blowout loss to the Houston Rockets.
So will James see his minutes scaled down again soon? He is averaging 34.8 per game thus far, barely less than the 35.5 he averaged last year. James has turned his heavy workload into 24.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game — so 37.9 PRA — good for a rate of 1.09 PRA per minute.
Let’s do some math quickly: with the workload Ham says James should be getting, the superstar would be recording only 32.7 PRA per game. While it’s true that James is unlikely to see his minutes cut so drastically this soon, Ham will have to start making tough choices at some point. This could be another one of those spots with Davis potentially sidelined: if the Rockets can beat the Davis-less Lakers so badly that James only gets 27 minutes, could the Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal-led Suns accomplish something similar?
It feels risky to fade greatness, but James can have a good game and still stay under this number. When Davis first went down against the Miami Heat, James tried to keep the Lakers in it and stuck around for 37 minutes. He still totaled only 37 PRA in the narrow loss. James has gone over this number just twice in eight starts this season, which is likely why Pinnacle, a sharp book, has the juice stacked on the under. You’ll find it priced at near-even odds of -105 at DraftKings Sportsbook. If you’re new to DraftKings, check out our DraftKings promo code or click here for $200 in bonus bets — and a daily no-sweat same-game parlay.
Knicks-Bucks Player Prop Pick: LeBron James Under 39.5 PRA -105 at DraftKings
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