NBA Prop Bets: Can the Lakers Make the Playoffs?
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The 2023 NBA regular season is nearing completion, and one of the big questions is: Can the Los Angeles Lakers make the playoffs?
Los Angeles began the season with plenty of motivation after they missed the playoffs last year. Things have not gone as planned, as the Lakers opened the new campaign 0-5.
With 10 games left to play in their regular season, the Lakers are 35-37. That’s good 11th place in the Western Conference standings as of Tuesday morning. They are just 1.5 games behind the 6th-seeded Golden State Warriors, and are only one half-game off the 8th-to-10th seeds in the conference.
Despite their current predicament, the best NBA betting sites still believe that the Lakers can make the playoffs.
Making the Playoffs and Making the Play-in Tournament Are Different
At online sportsbook BetOnline.ag, Los Angeles is a -125 to make the playoffs and a -105 to miss the postseason bus.
The BetOnline prop bet is about whether the Lakers make the playoffs. That’s different than qualifying for the play-in tournament. The former is a tough task for the Lakers right now.
After Monday’s games, the Lakers only trail the sixth-seeded Golden State Warriors by 2.5 games. With Golden State just 4-6 in their last 10 games, there is still a chance that LA can catch up and reach the playoffs outright.
Warriors win their FIRST road game since Jan. 30 😳 pic.twitter.com/EQlWN3tok0
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 21, 2023
But if the Lakers can’t get to the sixth seed, they will need to enter the play-in tournament and win at least one game to book a playoff spot. If the Lakers finish as the No. 7 or No. 8 seed, they will play in the 7-vs.-8 game.
The winner of that showdown will head to the playoffs as the 7th seed. The loser of that game will play the winner of the 9-vs.-10 game for the right to earn the eighth and final postseason spot.
If Los Angeles finishes ninth or 10th, they will need to win two play-in tournament games to reach the playoffs. Either way, it’s no easy task. But first things first. The Lakers need to get to the top-10 at the end of the regular season to have a shot at making the playoffs.
Lakers Have a Favorable Strength of Remaining Schedule
Can the Lakers make the playoffs? Well, after Monday’s games, Tankathon.com says the Lakers have the eighth-easiest remaining schedule among the NBA’s 30 teams.
Their remaining 10 opponents have an aggregate winning percentage of .478. Just take a look at the Lakers’ remaining schedule:
| Opponent | Date |
|---|---|
| vs. Phoenix | 3/22 |
| vs. Oklahoma City | 3/24 |
| vs. Chicago | 3/26 |
| at Chicago | 3/29 |
| at Minnestoa | 3/31 |
| at Houston | 4/2 |
| at Utah | 4/4 |
| at LA Clippers | 4/5 |
| vs. Phoenix | 4/7 |
| vs. Utah | 4/9 |
The sixth-seeded Warriors have the ninth-toughest schedule in the league. Before Tuesday’s games, there are five teams that the Lakers can still overtake to earn a play-in tournament spot. Golden State still has games against the Sixers, Nuggets, Kings, and Mavericks.
Dallas, the current No. 7 seed, has the fourth-easiest schedule, while No. 8-seeded Minnesota has the ninth-easiest schedule. However, T-Wolves star Anthony Edwards is currently sidelined by an ankle injury.
The NBA’s leader in points per game since the All-Star break?Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. 35.5 points per game. Him. pic.twitter.com/BfaLHVJxTF
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) March 20, 2023
The upstart Oklahoma City Thunder have the 10th-easiest remaining schedule. The 10th-seeded Utah Jazz own the league’s second-toughest schedule. Utah still has games against the Bucks, Celtics, Nuggets, Kings, Nets, and Suns.
The Lakers still have two games left against the Jazz and one each versus the Timberwolves and Thunder. This means that while the Lakers are in a tough spot, they still control their own destiny.
When betting on basketball futures, remember to take team schedules into account.
Lakers Likely a Play-in Tournament Team
Per SportsBetting.ag, the Lakers have the fifth-best title odds from a team from the Western Conference at +2000. They even have better title odds than the second-seeded Grizzlies (+2200), the Luka Doncic-led Mavs ( +2800), and the third-seeded Kings (+4000).
Looking at the NBA prop bets for the other teams, the Warriors have -800 odds to make the playoffs, while the Mavs are favored to head to the postseason at -400.
There is optimism that Minnesota Timberwolves stars Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards (ankle) could return as soon as Wednesday vs. Atlanta Hawks, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Towns, sidelined since Nov. 28 with Grade 3 calf strain, is on the cusp of a major return.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 21, 2023
No. 8 Minnesota is listed at +130 to make the postseason, while No.+9 Oklahoma City is just +275 to enter the postseason. Comparing playoff special prop bets, the Lakers’ -125 number is just behind the Dubs and Nuggets.
Looking at the Lakers’ futures odds, oddsmakers are picking Los Angeles to make the playoffs. But considering there are only 10 remaining regular season games, the Lakers could end up as the 9th or 10th seed in the West. This means that the Lakers will likely need to win twice in the play-in tournament to earn a playoff spot.
Will the Lakers Make the Playoffs?
The Lakers have looked like a different team after making a few splashy moves at the trade deadline. Since the All-Star break, they have posted a record above the .500 mark. Los Angeles is shooting the ball better, especially from downtown, with Malik Beasley and D’Angelo Russell in the mix. Anthony Davis, meanwhile, is averaging 26 points and 12.5 rebounds per game on the season.
The big issue is the health of LeBron James. The future Hall-of-Famer is having another standout campaign, but he’s dealing with a foot injury. James hasn’t played since February 26th, though there is optimism about his chances to return by the end of the regular season.
Three weeks after LeBron James suffered a right foot tendon injury in Dallas, Darvin Ham offered the most optimistic and definitive update we’ve heard on James yet: “We anticipate him coming back at some point (this season)”
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) March 19, 2023
So can the Lakers make the playoffs? As a result, it may be a case of too little, too late for them. After a tricky three-game homestand, the Lakers will embark on a five-game road trip. To make matters worse, the team is just 16-20 in 36 road games played this season.
The Lakers have not won more than five consecutive games at any point all season. That shows that they have never really gotten any momentum of sorts to change their fortunes. It may be hard to get on a roll in these last 10 games, especially with the pressure creeping in and LeBron still out with an injury.
The odds favor the Lakers to make the play-in tournament. Qualifying for the playoffs from there will be a difficult ask, however. All things considered, the Lakers are actually a good value bet to miss out on postseason play this spring.
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