Los Angeles Lakers 2025-26 Season Preview, Betting Odds

For the first time in his illustrious, GOAT-worthy basketball career, LeBron James is no longer the focal point and driving force behind the team he's a part of heading into the regular season. The times they are a-changin' for the Los Angeles Lakers, with Luka Doncic and his new three-year contract extension being the face of the organization following his earth-shattering acquisition last season.

This 2025-26 season preview will take a look at all important betting odds pertaining to the Lakers as they seek to maximize one of James' final years competing before the keys to the kingdom are fully handed off to Doncic.

(Betting odds will be updated up until the start of the regular season. Be sure to check in regularly for any changes to numbers and picks)

Los Angeles Lakers 2025 NBA Draft

Selected Adou Thiero (Arkansas) No. 36 overall

Los Angeles Lakers 2025 Re-Signings

Luka Doncic agrees to three-year, $165-million extension
Jaxson Hayes agrees to one-year contract

Los Angeles Lakers 2025 Additions

Deandre Ayton agrees to two-year contract
Jake LaRavia agrees to two-year, $12-million contract
Marcus Smart agrees to two-year, $11-million contract

Los Angeles Lakers 2025 Departures

Dorian Finney-Smith agrees to four-year, $53-million contract with Houston Rockets
Jordan Goodwin waived
Trey Jamison III waived
Shake Milton waived

Los Angeles Lakers 2026 NBA Championship, Western Conference, Pacific Division Betting Odds

Team	NBA Finals Odds	Western Conference Odds	Pacific Division Odds
Los Angeles Lakers	+1800	+1100	+280

Best Bet: Los Angeles Lakers to win Pacific Division, +280

Following widespread criticism of his conditioning, Doncic used his summer offseason to get himself shredded by dropping 30 pounds while even appearing on the cover of Men's Health magazine. It was a sorely-needed transformation to alleviate some of the strain on his lower extremities which were consistently presenting issues. Time will tell how much of an impact his weight loss will have on his overall performance, but one would assume it would make what's already considered to be a top-five talent in the Association even more unstoppable. Doncic already had the motivation as is following one of the most shocking trades in league history with the Dallas Mavericks, who were open about their concerns over his work ethic and potential to lead the team to a championship, even after their first Finals berth in over a decade last year.

At just 26 years of age, the transition from the James era to one revolving around Doncic will be far more seamless than if it were 32-year-old Anthony Davis left carrying the torch. Los Angeles went 15-8 in the 23 games the two played together after the trade deadline, but a 4-1 drubbing at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the opening round of the playoffs further exposed glaring roster flaws around them which would need to be addressed. One of which was not having a legitimate five man to feed the ball into, and while Deandre Ayton does come with his fair share of baggage involving his character and effort level, he's still a huge upgrade on the hardwood over what the Lakers were trotting out before. The arriving Marcus Smart is also the only guard since 1996 to be named Defensive Player of the Year (2022), and considering Los Angeles just ranked in the bottom-half of the league in that department for a second-straight year, he could be a surprise revelation after being written off while with the Memphis Grizzlies and Washington Wizards.

The Pacific Division is a three-horse race between the Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, and Golden State Warriors, with the Lakers eking out the crown in 2024-25 despite having an identical 50-32 record with the Clippers. The purple and gold brigade are probably another piece away from contending with the likes of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, and Kevin Durant-led Houston Rockets for Western Conference supremacy, but back-to-back division titles is certainly doable with Doncic and a still thriving James at the forefront. The odds have taken a bit of a hit, however, due to news emerging that James will be out of action until at least mid-November as a result of sciatica.

Los Angeles Lakers 2025-26 NBA Win Total, Make Playoffs Odds

Team	Win Total	OVER	UNDER	Odds To Make Playoffs
Los Angeles Lakers	46.5	-105	-114	-340

Best Bet: UNDER 46.5 wins, -114

The aforementioned 15-8 record with Doncic and James available would equate to roughly a 53-29 mark over the course of a full 82-game season. That's the best-case scenario, though, because surely both superstars will be missing games from time to time (as mentioned earlier), but hopefully never for long stretches. Los Angeles' win total has improved year over year since 2022, and last season's 50-32 record was its best since the Bubble championship of 2020, but matching or even exceeding that will prove difficult.

This will be a recurring theme in previews for most contenders in the West, but everything outside of Oklahoma City likely securing the No. 1 seed again is a total crapshoot. The Lakers ended up with the No. 3 seed, sure, but only two games separated them and the No. 8 Grizzlies, so the margin for error is slim as slim can get.

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Los Angeles Lakers 2025-26 NBA Awards Odds

Name	MVP	Most Improved	Sixth Man	Clutch	Finals MVP	Coach
Luka Doncic	+400			+1000	+1900
LeBron James	+100000			+30000	+8000
Dalton Knecht		+15000
Bronny James		+50000
Deandre Ayton		+20000
Gabe Vincent			+25000
Austin Reaves	+100000	+12500		+20000	+35000
JJ Redick						+2200

Best Bet: Luka Doncic for NBA Most Valuable Player, +400

The one individual accolade which has consistently evaded Doncic is Most Valuable Player, which he's finished as high as third in voting for back in 2024. He's captured a scoring title, made five All-Star teams, and is the youngest player to have ever made five All-NBA First teams, but outside of the obvious championship, an MVP is a glaring omission on his still loaded resume. Many players of his caliber went on to have long and storied careers and were never defined by not obtaining the Michael Jordan trophy, and it's not like Doncic is on the clock to pull it off anyway.

In what was considered an off-year by his standards, Doncic still managed to average 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.5 assists while converting 37.9 percent from behind the arc after moving to Los Angeles. That would have made him the fourth-leading scorer overall behind reigning and past MVP recipients Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Nikola Jokic. A full training camp, along with a newfound lease on life with the stability of an extension paired with his leaner build, should push Doncic both mentally and physically to remind the world of how elite he can be. He's one of just three players currently sitting with greater than 4-to-1 odds for this recognition, and that's a good sign for the confidence both oddsmakers and bettors alike have in this potentially hitting.