Best Lakers Betting Lines 2023
The 2022-23 NBA season is shaping up to be an interesting one for the Los Angeles Lakers. Russell Westbrook is in the final year of his contract. LeBron James and Anthony Davis are back for another go around.
And then there’s the rest of the roster, which is almost entirely made up of guys on one-year deals who are also about to begin their debut seasons for the Lakers.
The chemistry is questionable and the roster is virtually untested. And yet, because of the presence of James and Davis, this team remains a playoff contender (and potentially an NBA Finals challenger) in the eyes of many.
Let’s look at the Lakers betting odds for the 2022-23 NBA season.
Lakers Futures Betting Odds
Note: All NBA gameday odds and lines are current as of Monday, Oct. 17, at 3 p.m. ET and courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. You can find more odds at these US betting sites. Be aware that these NBA futures odds may change as the season approaches.
- Win Total: Over 44.5 (+100) / Under 44.5 (-122)
- Make Playoffs: Yes (-205) / No (+164)
- Win Pacific Division (+950)
- Win Western Conference (+1100)
- Win 2023 NBA Finals (+2700)
🏀 to place any of these Lakers futures bets at FanDuel Sportsbook.
Lakers NBA Finals Odds
Lakers Win 2023 NBA Finals (+2700)
As it stands, the Lakers are tied with the Mavericks for the 10th-shortest odds to win the NBA title. This seems like an appropriate placement — Los Angeles went just 33-49 last season, and it’s hard to say whether the roster truly improved over the summer.
I would hold off on placing this wager for the time being. Even if the Lakers get off to a strong start, their odds probably won’t increase too dramatically.
Lakers Western Conference Odds
Lakers Win Western Conference (+1100)
The West is far too deep this season for the Lakers to come out of it in the playoffs. I’m not out on this team as far as the regular season is concerned, but their depth will become a major problem against the conference’s heaviest hitters once the postseason rolls around.
Lakers Pacific Division Odds
Lakers Win Pacific Division (+950)
For this to happen, the Lakers would have to record a better regular-season record than the Warriors, Clippers, and Suns. I don’t see that happening.
Lakers Make Playoffs Odds
Lakers Miss the Playoffs (+164)
In a normal year, this Lakers team would probably make the playoffs. But the West is looking especially tough this season, and it’s going to take 45+ wins to be a lower playoff seed. Los Angeles is projected to win 44.5 this year, which puts them right on the bubble.
It’s more likely that the Lakers make the play-in tournament than the actual playoffs. This team’s depth is a serious issue. James and Davis can only take them so far.
Lakers Win Total Bets 2023
Lakers Under 44.5 Wins (-122)
You can get plus money if you take the Over on this number, but I’d rather side with the Under. Even with James and Davis at full strength, I’m not sure how this team will be able to compete with the West’s top contenders.
Patrick Beverley‘s presence genuinely helps a lot — he’ll have this group hungry and ready to go each and every night — but the talent gap has to matter at some point.
Lakers Prop Bets 2023
Lakers Make the Play-In Tournament (-120)
If nothing else, the Lakers should at least be a play-in team. It’s hard to say whether or not they’ll advance beyond that — I lean no — but the roster could also look very different by then. At (-120) odds, this is a solid play on a prop that seems far more likely than not to hit.
How to Bet Lakers Moneylines
Moneyline betting is as straightforward as it gets. All you have to do here is pick the winner in a game. If your team wins, you win your bet.
The Lakers will have different moneyline odds each night, and they’ll vary depending on their opponent, whether they’re at home or on the road, how many nights of rest they’ve had, etc. The two consistent markers with moneyline wagers are the plus and minus symbols, which indicate an underdog and favorite, respectively.
It’s easier to earn a larger payout when betting on underdogs, but since they don’t win as often, you probably shouldn’t exclusively bet on underdogs. The same could be said of betting on favorites — the price it costs to earn decent money on a bet sometimes isn’t worth the risk of the team potentially losing the game.
- 2021-22 Lakers Moneyline Record: 33-49
How to Bet Lakers Spreads
Spread betting is one of the most popular ways to bet on NBA games. Both options are presented with the same (-110) odds, which is a big draw, and most bettors are already familiar with spreads by the time they get around to placing their first wager.
Essentially, the spread is the expected scoring margin in a game. For example, if the Lakers are playing the Warriors, the spread might be set at 6.5 points, with the Warriors listed as favorites. At a sportsbook, this would look something like this: Warriors -6.5 (-110) vs Lakers +6.5 (-110).
For the Lakers to cover the spread, they would need to either win the game or lose by less than 6.5 points. Otherwise, the Warriors would cover the spread.
- 2021-22 Lakers Against the Spread Record: 35-47
How to Bet Lakers Over/Unders
If you’re looking to bet on a Lakers game but unsure how they’ll perform, you can always take a look at Over/Unders. These are set before each game and are an estimate of how many total points will be scored. All you need to do is decide whether the actual total will be higher or lower than what’s projected.
For example, if the Lakers are playing the Warriors, the total may be set around 226.5 points. In this case, the Over would hit if more than 226.5 points are scored. Otherwise, the Under would hit.
Overs were 47-35 in Lakers games last season, which means their games often ended with a higher total than was projected. This can happen because a team’s defense isn’t up to par, or if their offense comes on a bit stronger than usual
- 2021-22 Lakers Over/Under Record: 47-35
