- LeBron James props are the featured item as we dive into his assist total of Over/Under 8.5 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals
- The Lakers are 4.5-point favorites in a game with a 217.5-point total, tip-off at 9 ET
- NBA is winding down, but NFL props are just warming up — Bet the Prop is hitting 66% through Week 3 — get full weekly slates here.
LeBron has dominated the postseason en route to his ninth NBA Finals in the last 10 seasons. He’s averaged 8.9 assists over 15 games and double-doubled in 10-of-15 in his first playoffs with the Lakers.
I like his assist total tonight, set at 8.5, and I’m about to tell you why it’s my favorite of the LeBron James props tonight — plus we’re throwing in a few extra leans as a Finals bonus today.
Editor’s note: Bet the Prop is coming out on fire on NFL props, hitting 65% through Week 3. Join us here.
Lakers Forward LeBron James
Over 8.5 Assists (-134 DraftKings/FanDuel)
LeBron’s revenge tour with the Lakers has been quite the spectacle, and over his first 15 postseason games, The King is averaging 26.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 8.9 assists.
He’s done it all, and in his last 15 Game 1 appearances, he’s recorded 9+ assists in nine. In his last Finals showing, he averaged 10 assists per game versus the Warriors. Dating back to the 2014-15 NBA Finals, LeBron has hit the over 8.5 assists in 13-of-21 (61.9%) games.
- 2017-18: 10.0 APG, Over 8.5 in2/4
- 2016-17: 10.0 APG, over 8.5 in 3/4
- 2015-16: 8.9 APG, over 8.5 in 5/7
- 2014-15: 8.8 APG, over 8.5 in 3/6
During the 2019-20 postseason, LeBron has double-doubled in 10-of-15 games and triple-doubled in four. He’s gone over eight assists in eight of those 15 games and hit eight on the head twice. I love his chances to double-double tonight.
LeBron also led the league in assists for the first time in his career (10.2), and Miami isn’t the best at preventing passes from piling up.
- Miami allows the ninth-most assists on the season to point guards (8.34)
- Against all positions, they’ve allowed 23.3 per game in the postseason, 10th most
The Lakers lead the postseason with 25.9 assists per game, and LeBron is third in the playoffs with 8.9. Since the semifinals started, he leads the league in assists per game (8.2) and hit the over five-of-10 games with three finishes of seven or eight.
Over the last four NBA Finals, LeBron’s posted ridiculous overall numbers, and I don’t expect that to stop versus this Heat defense.
Some Leans on LeBron James Props
- If you can find a double-double line less than -200 for LeBron, I would take it in a heart-beat
- If he gets over 8.5 assists, there’s a good chance he triple-doubles, which is good value too at +250 and better on most sites
- His PRA total opened at 45.5 and increased to 46.5 quickly, and there’s a good chance LeBron will dismantle that number to as he’s already averaged more than that in his last four NBA Finals series
I will be playing all four of these LeBron props tonight and for most of the series to be honest.
