LeBron James is approaching another career milestone: 40,000 career regular-season points. This milestone gives bettors a unique opportunity for some wagers. When will James get his 40,000th point? How will he get it? Here is your guide for how to bet on LeBron James’ latest career milestone. Note: odds are via FanDuel Sportsbook.
Where Does LeBron James Currently Stand?
James has 39,668 career regular-season points. He averages 24.8 points per game this season with the Los Angeles Lakers. This means he will likely hit the milestone somewhere in February. Obviously, injuries or a decision to rest would hinder that, but the Lakers are in a position where they cannot rest a bunch of players. The team is in the play-in right now, not where a contender wants to be. James will have to play most of the games, or the team risks mission the playoffs entirely.
LeBron James 40,000th Point Betting Odds
February 22 at Golden State Warriors +3700
February 23 vs San Antonio Spurs +1500
February 25 at Phoenix Suns +650
February 28 at Los Angeles Clippers +430
February 29 vs Washington Wizards +450
March 2 vs Denver Nuggets +450March 4 vs Oklahoma City Thunder +600March 6 vs Sacramento Kings +1000March 8 vs Milwaukee Bucks +1700March 10 vs Minnesota Timberwolves +2700March 13 at Sacramento Kings +4300March 16 vs Golden State Warriors +7500
March 18 vs Atlanta Hawks +9000
Betting Odds Analysis: Which Opponent?
The odds put the sweet spot somewhere between February 28 and March 4. All of those odds are +600 or less. In the schedule, there isn’t an obvious game to try and bet. LeBron James loves NBA history. If there was a game at Madison Square Garden on the schedule, I wouldn’t be surprised if James tried to break the record there. He had already broken Kareem Abdul-Jabbar‘s record at home, so he might have wanted to break this record at another iconic location.
Alas, that isn’t on the schedule. In fact, the Lakers are on a huge homestand that month, with the only road games being the Suns, Clippers, and Kings. The Kings are all the way on March 13, and the +4300 odds aren’t likely to hit. The Clippers are a pseudo-home game, as their new stadium doesn’t debut until next season. It is likely he breaks it at home in front of the home crowd.
My favorite picks are the Thunder, Spurs, and Wizards. Washington is the safest pick, as the odds are only +450. However, Washington’s defense is abhorrent, and James could easily drop 40 on them. Again, LeBron James likes history. He would love it if he could drop a historic amount of points for 40,000. The Thunder are the team he broke Abdul Jabbar’s record against, and he could do it again. The Spurs are +1500, but they are a team that also plays bad defense. Also, with Victor Wembanyama playing, all eyes will be on this game.
Long Shot Games
If you want to go for some long-shot odds, there are a couple of games to watch. Both Golden State Warriors games are long shots, but here’s my case. The February 22 game is quick, but scoring in the NBA has been up in the past week. If James can get in on the action, he would love to break the record against a team that he has stuck it to a couple of times in the NBA Finals already.
The other one isn’t until March 16, and the +7500 odds make it very unlikely. You’re banking on an injury or LeBron James deciding to rest. Betting on someone to get injured isn’t a great long-term strategy, but James has been playing for two decades. He could break down at any point.
How Will He Get The 40,000th Point?
Layup +175
Three Pointer +270
Other +300
Free Throw +420
Dunk +650
These odds are a little less exciting. However, this is for you if you want to bet on the milestone without a huge risk. He is going to hit 40,000 points. You don’t have to determine when it will happen, which is much harder to predict. There are limited ways to score points in basketball. I’d throw some money on a dunk and call it a day. If you want to play it safer, other is your best bet. That was how he broke Abdul-Jabbar’s record, and in his old age, he has become more of a jump shooter.
LeBron James is approaching another milestone, and you can get in on the action. Depending on how many points James scores in the coming weeks, these are odds to keep an eye on. You might be able to find some good value as he gets closer.
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Matt has been following sports since he was a kid. While football is his primary focus, Matt can talk about any sport anytime. He is a banker in Wisconsin and hosts two podcasts, Beers and Ears & Discontinued on Display.
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