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This in-season tournament the NBA presented has been a hit. Teams are playing hard, and we’ve had some great games along the way. We’ve made it to the championship game between the Indiana Pacers and Los Angeles Lakers. Let’s dive into our top NBA player prop bet for the game on Saturday, December 9.
Be sure to also read our NBA prediction for tonight’s final.
LeBron James, SF, LAL, In-Season Tournament MVP (-155)
Line available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.
As you can see from my pick above, I love the Lakers tonight. I’m betting them at -4 on BetRivers and LeBron James to win the MVP on DraftKings. If the Lakers pull out a win, James will almost certainly win the award after his performance on Thursday in the semi-final routing of the Pelicans. He scored 30 points and dished out 8 assists in 30 minutes. Meanwhile, Anthony Davis took just 10 shots from the field and scored 16 points. Davis is currently +1200 to win the MVP.
The juice on this player prop isn’t fun. Neither is how many books are offering it. DraftKings and ESPN are the two major books that have this prop available. I would back the Lakers on the spread if you don’t have access to either book. James’ points line is set at 28.5 with heavy vig on the over or 29.5 at ESPN at +odds. Is there a scenario where James stays under that line and still wins MVP? Most definitely. That’s why I’m pivoting there.
Let’s not discredit how impressive the Indians Pacers have been. They’ve throttled the Celtics and Bucks on their way to this game – two of the biggest threats in the Eastern Conference. Tyrese Haliburton has played himself into the conversation of a top 10 player in the league today with his impressive play – that’s not an overstatement. He’s been that good. But the Lakers have a stout defense on the perimeter and inside to limit him. Cam Reddish, Jared Vanderbilt, and Max Christie can give Haliburton all sorts of trouble. For the Pacers on offense, I expect a ton of pick and roll with Myles Turner popping and rolling at times. Still, I also expect Anthony Davis to continue to cement his name into the Defensive Player of the Year category by being a pest in the paint.
LeBron James continues to turn head with his play at the age of 38. We’ve never seen a man at that age still be able to dominate the game. I expect him to come out strong, stuff the stat sheet, lead the Lakers to a win, and continue to add to his already impressive accolade list.
