3 Best NBA Bets and Player Props for Hornets at Lakers

Even within a single NBA game, betting markets are abundant.

You can bet traditional markets like the spread or the total, but we've also got tons of player-prop markets to sift through.

Which bets stand out today as the Charlotte Hornets face the Los Angeles Lakers?

Let's dig into the best bets in FanDuel Sportsbook's NBA betting odds, utilizing FanDuel Research's NBA projections to try to find value.

Hornets at Lakers Betting Picks

Moneyline/Total Parlay: Lakers/Over 223.5 (-110)

The NBA is back in action following a five-day break. We'll get a proper slate of games tomorrow but can wet our beaks with this Hornets-Lakers matchup.

These franchises were recently tangled up in drama. Before the trade deadline, the Lakers agreed to send Dalton Knecht and draft picks to the Hornets in exchange for Mark Williams. The trade was later nullified after Williams failed his physical. The Hornets have since disputed the claim.

It's safe to say there could be some bad blood on both sides tonight, but how should we approach this game from a betting perspective? I'm most interested in a moneyline/total parlay that supports the Lakers and over 223.5 points.

Historically, teams run at a faster pace and play worse-than-usual defense in the first game back from the All-Star break, resulting in a higher-scoring affair.

In the 2023 NBA season, teams averaged a 99.8 pace, 114.1 defensive rating, and 114.7 points per game. But in the first night back from the break, we saw teams average a 100.2 pace, 116.1 defensive rating, and 118.8 points. In 2024, teams averaged 99.1/114.5/114.2 in these categories, which rose to 100.7/115.3/115.9 in the first night back from the break.

Tonight's over/under is set at 228.0, so I feel good about taking the alt over at 223.5 points considering the post All-Star break trend. It helps to have LaMelo Ball and Luka Doncic participating in this one.

Adding in the Lakers' moneyline brings this parlay to -110 odds. Los Angeles is -- rightfully so -- favored by 12.5 points tonight. They tout a +4.8 net rating at home while the Hornets struggled with a gross -7.6 net rating on the road. Charlotte has gone 4-19 on the road and a pair of those wins were against two of the worst teams (Utah Jazz, Chicago Bulls) in the league. The Lakers, meanwhile, have the fourth-best home record in the NBA and should have no trouble taking care of business tonight.

LaMelo Ball Over 35.5 Pts + Reb + Ast (-111)

LaMelo Ball is averaging 39.6 combined points, rebounds, and assists (PRA) per game.

He's exceeded 35.5 PRA in 78.8% of games (26 out of 33) this season. He's also gone over this line in 83.9% of games where he played more than 10 minutes. The kicker? LaMelo has outdone 35.5 PRA at a seismic 92.8% rate (26 out of 28) in contests where he played more than 26 minutes.

Ball is playing 32.7 minutes per game, so pretty much the only thing stopping him from playing more than 26 minutes would be an injury. His ankle got banged up before the break but he's since had nearly ten days to recover and is listed as probable for tonight.

Even if we include the games LaMelo left early with an injury, his hit rate on the over at this line (78.8%) is far higher than the implied probability on these -111 odds (52.6%). This is my favorite player prop for this game and our NBA projections forecast LaMelo to tally 37.6 PRA tonight.

Luka Doncic Over 26.5 Points (-108)

Luka Doncic played just 24 and 23 minutes in his first games in a Laker uniform due to a return to play minutes restriction. Even still, he attempted 15 threes and 27 shot attempts in that two-game span.

Coming out of the break, head coach JJ Redick stated that Luka will not have a minutes restriction moving forward. With that, we can finally feel comfortable biting on Luka's points prop as a Laker.

In 17 games where Luka played more than 30 minutes this season, he averaged 30.1 points and exceeded 26.5 points at a strong 76.4% rate -- up from the 51.9% implied probability on these -108 odds.

As mentioned, this game could feature a faster pace and worse defensive qualities than normal, both of which would help Luka's scoring output. To add, Charlotte is giving up the 10th-most 3PA and the 13th-most FTA to guards per minute. Our projections expect Luka to score 29.6 points in this one.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.