The accolades keep coming for LeBron James, who was named an All-Star Game starter yet again this week. Another accolade on the horizon in his stellar 21 NBA seasons is hitting the 40,000-career points mark. He would be the first to do so in league history, and after his 25-point performance last night against the Bulls, he now has 39,668 points. If he remains healthy, he’ll hit the mark within the coming weeks.
Some of the top online sportsbooks are offering prop bets for the historical marker. With the date approaching soon, we’re taking a look at the odds for when LeBron James will reach 40,000 career points.
LeBron James Odds for 40,000 Career Points
Here are the odds for the game in which James will reach 40,000 career points at FanDuel Sportsbook and at DraftKings Sportsbook.
| DATE | DraftKings Sportsbook Odds | FanDuel Sportsbook Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Feb. 22 at Golden State | +6000 | +3700 |
| Feb. 23 vs San Antonio | +2200 | +1500 |
| Feb. 25 at Phoenix | +900 | +650 |
| Feb. 28 at LA Clippers | +475 | +430 |
| Feb. 29 vs Washington | +500 | +450 |
| March 2 vs Denver | +390 | +450 |
| March 4 vs Oklahoma City | +475 | +600 |
| March 6 vs Sacramento | +650 | +1000 |
| March 8 vs Milwaukee | +1100 | +1700 |
LeBron James Betting Odds Special: Breaking down a few options
Feb. 25 vs. Phoenix Suns
FanDuel: +650 | DraftKings: +900
James needs 332 points to hit the mark, and he currently averages 24.8 points per game. At that rate, he’ll need about 13 games to hit the mark. As of today, the matchup with the Suns is exactly 13 games away. However, there is a lot to keep in mind if you’re leaning toward this date.
James has missed five of 46 games due to a left ankle injury, including the matchup against the Clippers as recently as Jan. 23. That means James has played 89.13% of his games this season. If you applied that rate across the next 13 games, he would be due miss at least one game in that time span, leaving him short of hitting this mark.
Feb. 29 at Washington Wizards
FanDuel: +450 | DraftKings: +500
Depending how much you believe James and the NBA put into these types of records, the Wizards may not be the best option due to the matchup’s lack of luster. The Wizards are second to last in the Eastern Conference and would make for a quiet night in ratings on what would be a big night for James and the league. However, that’s a more abstract perspective.
Logically speaking, it’s a sound choice, which is why the odds are among the highest for the matchup. The Lakers have 15 games before this contest. Given the rate he plays, this would keep him at about 13 of the 15 contests played. He has been consistent lately, scoring at least 24 points in five consecutive contests. In that stretch, the Lakers were 4-1.
That’s what makes this date possible. The Lakers can’t afford to not give each contest their all. They are ninth in the Western Conference Standings and are 1.5 games out of 11th, which would put them on the outside looking in of the playoff picture. In the 14-game stretch leading up to the Wizards game, the Lakers would only be the favorites in about eight contests. They’ll need James to be productive in that stretch to keep their playoff hopes alive, which lessens the number of nights he takes off.
March 2 vs. Denver Nuggets
FanDuel: +450 | DraftKings: +390
The matchup with the Nuggets is one of the safest wagers based on James’ availability and occasional off nights. In 41 games played this season, he has scored fewer than 20 points 10 times (about 24% of games played). Conversely, he has scored 30 or more 11 times this season (about 26% of games played.)
So, when you account for off nights, above average nights, and missed games, here is what you get in the 15 games leading up to Denver:
- Games with less than 20 points: 4
- Games with 30 points or more: 4
- Games missed due to absence: 2
- Games around his 25-point average: 5
*Numbers are rounded
In games he scored 20 or less points, he averaged 15.9 points. In games he scored 30 or more points, he averaged 33.5 points per game. So, if you account for four games of 16 points; four games of 34 points; two missed games; and five games of his average 25 points, that’s 325 points.
Meaning, he would come into the game needing seven points to hit the mark.
Which date are you betting on? NBA specials like this don’t come around too often. Given the value of the wager, you may want to keep a close eye on James in the coming weeks.
