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Tuesday update: James has done it, breaking the record on a fadeaway jumper Tuesday against the Thunder. That’s a +250 payout if you bet it Sunday. He set the record on a two-point shot (-150) at home (-340).
Sunday update: James is now 36 points away from breaking the scoring record, and he is now favored to do so against the Bucks. That is listed at -295 as the game James will set the record on DraftKings Sportsbook. He’s +250 to set the mark against the Thunder Tuesday.
Friday update: James is now 63 points away from the mark, and the odds of him breaking it against Milwaukee Thursday are now -150. The odds he will break it against the Thunder now sit at +165. James could theoretically set the mark Saturday against the Pelicans, but he’s most likely to do break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record next week.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is 89 points away from holding the NBA’s all-time scoring record, something many thought was previously unattainable. James will pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s mark in the coming week, assuming he stays healthy and maintains his production this season. Here’s a look at how to bet on the King becoming the league’s all-time leading scorer, with odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
How will James break the record?
2-point basket: -150
3-point basket: +240
Free throw: +370
There’s decent value on a 2-point shot, as James has hit 59.1% of his shots inside the arc. 69.2% of his shots at from inside the arc, so he’s far more likely to break the mark here. James is averaging 6.2 free throw attempts per game so while it is intriguing to bet on him using a free throw to pass Abdul-Jabbar’s mark, he simply hasn’t been getting to the line enough to justify taking that bet.
When will James break the record?
2/9 vs. Bucks: +120
2/7 vs. Thunder: +130
2/11 vs. Warriors: +300
2/13 vs. Blazers: +950
2/28 vs. Grizzlies (or later): +2000
2/15 vs. Pelicans: +2500
2/4 vs. Pelicans: +3000
2/23 vs. Warriors: +5000
2/26 vs. Mavericks: +10000
2/2 vs. Pacers: +50000
Well, James is highly unlikely to score 89 points Thursday against Indiana so we don’t need to worry about that number. There’s good value on taking both of the first two bets, as James is likely to set the mark in one of those contests barring an injury. The narrative of James doing it against the Bucks would be cool but the Thunder seem like the more logical choice given his production this season.
Where will James break the record?
Home: -340
Road: +240
After two games on the road, the Lakers play two games at home against Oklahoma City and Milwaukee. James is almost certainly going to pass Abdul-Jabbar in one of those games. Even though there’s no value on betting James to pass the mark at home, that’s the logical play here.