3 Best NBA Bets and Player Props for Lakers at Mavericks

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 Los Angeles Lakers face the Dallas Mavericks?

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.

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Lakers at Mavericks Betting Picks

Please note lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published. All injury news comes from the NBA's official injury report.

Mavericks +7 (-110)

This is a bit nerve-wracking when the Mavs have lost five games in a row by double digits without Luka Doncic (calf) and Kyrie Irving (back), but the Lakers don't deserve this respect against most.

L.A. has only been favored six times on the road this year, and they're 2-4 against the spread (ATS). I'm not sure what's more telling.

Overall, the Lakers have a -1.8 net rating (NRTG) in games where both LeBron James and Anthony Davis have played, according to PBP Stats. Dallas has a -5.5 NRTG in medium-to-very-high leverage situations with Doncic and Irving off the floor, which excludes blowout run.

Add in that the Mavericks are at home, and this appears to be another spot where road Lakers chalk could go sour. This is a rare national TV opportunity for some of the Mavericks' reserves looking to show out.

Dereck Lively Over 19.5 Points and Rebounds (-118)

I'm stunned to see this prop up -- much less sitting here.

With the Lake Show committed to playing Davis big minutes, the Mavs will likely have to push Dereck Lively over his 24.4 minutes per game average. He played 33 minutes last night after Daniel Gafford (ankle) left and didn't return. He's expected to miss time.

Averaging 13.0 points and 11.9 rebounds per 36 minutes, a full role should make the sophomore a nightly double-double threat. The Lakers also allow the 13th-most points (22.3) and 2nd-most rebounds per game (16.5) to centers.

Even with Gafford still baked into FanDuel Research's daily NBA projections, we're forecasting Lively for 11.0 points and 8.8 rebounds in 28.2 minutes. That projection -- and this line -- could soar when it becomes official, so I'd move quickly.

LeBron James Over 8.5 Assists (+112)

Expecting this game to be competitive, LeBron's assist prop might be a smidge low.

Since trading D'Angelo Russell four games ago, King James is averaging 17.5 potential assists per game. That's second in the entire NBA to Trae Young, and James has converted potential assists to actual dimes at a 55.6% clip this season. That alone is a quick-and-dirty projection of 9.7 assists tonight.

The Mavericks are also a good matchup for facilitating small forwards, allowing the ninth-most assists per game to the position (4.2).

LeBron has posted at least seven assists in all four games since the deal but only topped this line once. He's in the neighborhood, and regression on conversion could swing his way in a plus matchup.

We've got James projected at 9.0 assists in tonight's game, which would merit closer to -120 odds for this over if indeed correct.

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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.

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