Key Points
- SJ breaks down her best bets for the Mavericks vs Lakers matchup on February 25
It's Tuesday, and we have a highly awaited primetime matchup between the Dallas Mavericks (31-27, 13-16 away) and the Los Angeles Lakers (34-21, 19-7 home). All eyes will be on
Luka Doncic, who will play his former team for the first time.
(Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
The trade that shocked the NBA world on February 2, 2025, the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick. Although Davis will not lace up today with a left adductor injury, Doncic and Christie have the opportunity to cook up against their former teams.
3-1 in the last four games, the Mavericks are coming off a brutal 126-102 loss vs the Golden State Warriors. Up 1-0 in the season series, the Mavericks defeated the Lakers 118-97 back on January 7. While rosters were vastly different, Dallas finds themselves as +9.5 point underdogs on the road. Unfortunately for Dallas, they have quite the list of injuries tonight.
Winners of two straight games, the Lakers are coming off an unexpected 123-100 victory over the Denver Nuggets. This is the reason why the Lakers traded for star Luka Doncic, right? Between Doncic and LeBron, the two combined for 57 points. The trio of Austin Reeves, LeBron, and Doncic is finally shaping upward for bettors.
As bettors look forward to tonight, will Luka Doncic put on another monstrous performance against the Mavericks in front of the Lakers home crowd? One of the hottest teams in the NBA, the Lakers are 8-2 in their last ten games.
Odds Are Current As Of February 25 AT 9 A.M. ET
If you're looking to bet on NBA player props, welcome! I am up nearly 10 units this month and have an NBA betting record of 23-17.
Tonight you can find all my picks within FanDuel and Fanatics Sportsbook. Keeping my bank roll management at the forefront, I've placed all my betting picks as straight plays.
With tip-off set for 10 p.m, the Mavericks and Lakers matchup will air on TNT. In addition, the matchup will take place at Crypto.com Arena
Let's continue to stay hot and cash out tonight! Here are my three best betting picks and predictions for the February 25 matchup between the Mavericks and Lakers.
NBA Bets: Dallas Mavericks vs Los Angeles Lakers FanDuel Betting Odds For February 25
MONEYLINE
- DALLAS MAVERICKS: +300
- LOS ANGELE LAKERS: -375
SPREAD
- DALLAS MAVERICKS: +9 (-108)
- LOS ANGELES LAKERS: -9 (-112)
OVER/UNDER (TOTAL)
- OVER: 232.5 (-110)
- UNDER: 232.5 (-110)
Last Five H2H Matchups: Dallas Mavericks vs Los Angeles Lakers
- January 7, 2025: Mavericks 118, Lakers 97 ( Dallas +6, under 218)
- January 17, 2024: Lakers 127, Mavericks 110 (Los Angeles -3, under 244.5)
- December 12, 2023: Mavericks 127, Lakers 125 ( Dallas +3, over 235)
- November 22, 2023: Mavericks 104, Lakers 101 (Dallas -1, under 244.5)
- March 17, 2023: Mavericks 111, Lakers 110 (Dallas +5, under 227.5)
Dallas Mavericks vs Los Angeles Lakers Injury Report
MAVERICKS
- Anthony Davis, PF: OUT
- Daniel Gafford, C: OUT
- Caleb Martin, SF: OUT
- Dwight Powell, C: Questionable
- P.J. Washington, PJ: Questionable
LAKERS
- LeBron James, SF: Questionable
- Maxi Kleber, PF: OUT
Player Prop Best Bet #1: Klay Thompson
Klay Thompson 2024-2025 Season Stats
PPG: 13.8 | FG: 41.5 % | FT: 90.7 % | 3PT : 39.5 % | REB: 3.5 | AST: 2.0 | STL: 0.8 | BLK: 0.5
- Over 2.5 Made Threes (-174 Fanatics)
My first best bet for tonight, I placed one unit on Mavericks guard
Klay Thompson
to record over 2.5 made threes against the Lakers.
Thompson's point production had undoubtedly decreased from year's past, averaging 13.8 points on the season. In the absence of Luka Doncic, we've seen Thompson have a 25 point performance vs the Celtics, in which he shot 3-6 from the three-point line.
Coming off a 11 point performance, we saw Thompson notch 3-7 trey balls. With that, Thompson recorded only 25 minutes. Then again, the Mavericks were blown out, 126-102. It will be interesting to see if Jason Kidd will start Max Christie over Dante Exum. Either way, Thompson should log a decent amount of minutes tonight.
While this line is a tad juiced, I love the 2.5 player prop line. Soaring over this in four straight games, I've been confident in Thompson's shot volume. Coming off back-to-back seven three point attempts, he has 38 three-point attempts over the last four games.
- If you break it down, that's an average of 9.5 three-point attempts per game.
Why Klay Thompson Will Soar Over This Player Prop Bet vs The Lakers
Recording 3+ three-pointers in 6/8 games this month, this is a strong betting pick for tonight. While Thompson is more than capable of pulling off monstrous performances, they are less likely. If anything, Thompson's been a reliable, consistent scorer for the Mavericks.
A career 39.2 percent three-point shooter, Thompson is shooting an efficient 39.5 % from deep this year. Making a respectable 3.1 three-pointers per game, he now leads the Mavericks in three-pointers per game with Doncic out of the picture. Even with
Kyrie Irving,
Thompson leads the Mavericks with 7.7 three-point attempts per game.
Interesting enough, Thompson's three-point percentage is nearly the same as his field goal percentage. Coming off an impressive January, Thompson shot 43.3 % from downtown in 14 games.
- Now through eight February games, Thompson is shooting 38.7 % from deep, with 7.8 three-point attempts.
Klay Thompson Leads The Mavericks In Three-Point Attempts
I will say, 7.8 trey ball attempts is his most since October. Will Thompson finally see some increased looks over time with Luka Doncic out of town? Given Luka's last game with the Mavericks was Christmas Day, Thompson has recorded 3+ threes in the last 9/11 without Doncic.
Tonight Thompson gets a revamped and improved Lakers squad who allows the 13th most three-pointers to guards. With teams shooting over 35 % beyond the arc against the Lakers, we recently saw Jamal Murray pour in six trey balls alone. In fact, the last 10 guards to face the Lakers have recorded a minimum 3+ trey balls.
It's likely Dallas will continue to play a three-guard lineup with Thompson. Given Thompson has an impressive 64.8 percent three-point rate, he's still being used at a high rate (21.5 %).
With injuries piling up for Dallas, Thompson will have to step up in the absence of Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford, and Caleb Martin. If P.J. Washington is unable to suit up, it's truly up to Irving and Thompson to carry the load tonight.
In one game vs the Lakers this season, bettors saw Klay Thompson record 13 points, on 3-6 three-point shooting. Of course doing so without Irving and Doncic in the lineup, Max Christie could but into his minutes tonight.
Final NBA Best Bet Pick and Prediction: Klay Thompson Over 2.5 Made Threes (-174 Fanatics)
If Thompson could get going off ball, he's shooting an efficient 42.8 % off catch and shoot threes. While his production has been up and down for bettors, I do believe he's good for 3+ tonight. Shooting nearly 40 percent over the last 10 games, book it.
- I'll take Klay Thompson to record over 2.5 made threes tonight. One of my best betting picks, Thompson still remains one of the most prolific shooters the game has ever seen. Among the top 20 in three-pointers (153), I love this player prop tonight.
Player Prop Best Bet #2: Max Christie
Max Christie 2024-2025 Season Stats
PPG: 9.5 | FG: 45.7 % | FT: 84.8 % | 3PT : 38.1 % | REB: 3.0 | AST: 1.7 | STL: 0.8 | BLK: 0.5
- Over 11.5 Points (-132 FanDuel)
My second best bet for tonight, I placed one unit on Mavericks
Max Christie
to record over 11.5 points vs the Lakers.
It's the first time Christie will face his former team since traded to the Mavericks, and will presumably continue his role as the Mavericks sixth man.
The Mavericks third leading scorer behind Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving, Christie has All-Star potential. Arguably the biggest steal of the trade by the Mavericks, the guard is averaging 15.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.1 steals in eight games with Dallas.
On his way to becoming a star in the NBA, Christie is an incredibly athletic guard. Combine that with exceptional rebounding abilities for a player that's 6'5. A sniper from three-point range, I am a big believer in Max Christie.
I firmly believe his 9.5 points per game was largely overshadowed by the LeBron James, Davis, and the Lakers itself. Now given the opportunity to flourish off the bench in a smaller market, the books are sleeping on this line.
We can forget Christie's two point performance in the Lakers 126-102 blowout loss vs the Warriors. Aside from that game, Christie has soared over 11.5 points in all seven games with the Mavericks. Aside from that, we are seeing an expected heavy increase in minutes from Jason Kidd. Averaging 32.75 minutes off the bench, we've seen Christie log back-to-back 39 minutes against the Heat and Warriors.
Speaking of minutes, there's a clear correlation between production and minutes played for Christie. In fact, when logging 32+ minutes, the guard has scored 15+ minutes in five straight games, and 12+ points in the last 7/10 games.
Tonight, Christie has a a prime matchup against his former team, who allows the 6th most points to guards.
Aside from the last two games, Christie is averaging 12 shot attempts on 41.9 three-point shooting with the Mavericks. Coming off a rough shooting night, Christie has the ability to truly score at all three levels.
Final NBA Best Bet Pick and Prediction: Max Christie Over 11.5 Points (-132 FanDuel)
At just 21 years old, Christie is a versatile guard who is excellent in attacking the rim. While the Lakers don't allow a ton of free-throws, they allow the 11th most paint points (49.5).
- I'll take Max Christie for over 11.5 points tonight. Averaging 15 points on 43.8 three-point shooting over the last 10 games, who doesn't love a good revenge game? Take advantage of the betting odds and lines now!
Player Prop Best Bet #3: LeBron James
LeBron James 2024-2025 Season Stats
PPG: 24.7 | FG: 51.8 % | FT: 76.9 % | 3PT : 39.5 % | REB: 7.7 | AST: 8.8 | STL: 0.9 | BLK: 0.6
- Over 7.5 Rebounds (-120 FanDuel)
My third best player prop bet for tonight, I placed one unit on Lakers star
LeBron James
to record over 7.5 rebounds vs the Mavericks.
At 40 years old, LeBron is playing at an insane level no one has ever seen before. As if LeBron was reverse aging, he's averaging 7.7 rebounds this year. Now that the Lakers have shipped Anthony Davis to the Mavericks, they lack serious front court depth and rim protection. With Jaxson Hayes and Dorian Finney-Smith listed on the center depth chart, LeBron will have plenty of opportunities to grab boards tonight.
On the flip side, Anthony Davis is out for the Mavericks, in addition to Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford. Having formed one of the biggest front courts in the NBA, the Mavericks may be without P.J. Washington tonight.
- With that, an undersized Kessler Edwards will start for Dallas.
LeBron James Is Playing Exceptional As of Late For The Lakers
Given the Mavericks give up the 6th most rebounds to forwards, LeBron is in a great position tonight. A strong betting pick, LeBron is coming off a 9 and 8 rebound performances vs the Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets. Let's talk about a solid nine rebound performance against Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon, and Michael Porter Jr.
Soaring over 7.5 rebounds in five of the last eight games, LeBron is averaging just over 9 rebounds over the last 8 games. Do we remember that incredible 17 rebound performance against the Warriors just a few weeks ago?
Father time? Let's forget about that. With a 30.7 usage percentage, LeBron shows zero signs of slowing down. Given he has a 12.7 rebound percentage, 21.8 % of those come on the defensive end.
- Playing extremely well, James is averaging 8.4 rebounds over the last 10 games. One of the most consistent players on the Lakers, James grabbed 10 rebounds in their first matchup vs the Mavericks in January.
Final NBA Best Bet Pick and Prediction: LeBron James Over 7.5 Rebounds (-120 FanDuel)
- Clearing 8+ rebounds against the Mavericks in six straight matchups, LeBron is averaging 9.8 rebounds in the last six head-to-head matchups. A strong betting pick tonight, I'm taking LeBron James to record 8+ rebounds.
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