Is Austin Reaves Playing Tonight? (Injury Update, Betting Impact for Lakers vs. Cavs)

The Los Angeles Lakers will continue to be without guard Austin Reaves (calf) on Wednesday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

There was some speculation early in the week that Reaves could return as soon as Wednesday, but it appears the team is going to give the star guard a few extra days, as he could return on Friday against the Washington Wizards.

Lakers head coach J.J. Redick had said Reaves could come back as soon as this Cleveland game, and he is expected to return at some point on L.A.'s long road trip.

JJ Redick says until Austin Reaves is back, which could occur as soon as Cleveland, the Lakers are going to stay with its starting lineup of LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia and Marcus Smart
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 25, 2026

Reaves has not played since Dec. 25, and he's been limited to just 23 games overall in the 2025-26 campaign. The Lakers are 15-8 in those matchups, but they've played very few games with all three of Reaves, Luka Doncic and LeBron James in the lineup.

When he's been on the floor, Reaves has been an All-Star-level player, averaging 26.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game while shooting 50.7 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from beyond the arc.

The Lakers are road underdogs on Wednesday with Reaves out, but bettors could look to target them in the prop market against a short-handed Cavs team (without Darius Garland and Evan Mobley).

Best Lakers Prop Bet vs. Cavs

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Luka Doncic OVER 33.5 Points (-112)

Doncic is coming off a 46-point game in a win over the Chicago Bulls, and he's averaging 33.8 points per game this season while shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from beyond the arc.

Since Reaves went down on Christmas, Doncic is taking 22.3 shots per game over his last 15 games, averaging 33.9 points per game. So, he's going to be in play to clear this line against Cleveland based on his shot volume alone.

The Cavs are 13th in the NBA in defensive rating, but Doncic is a bit of a matchup nightmare for them because of his size and Cleveland's lack of wing depth due to Max Strus (foot) being out of the lineup.

This month, Doncic has seven games with 34 or more points and is shooting 49.1 percent from the field and 38.6 percent from 3. If he keeps up that efficiency, he's certainly going to be tough to slow down on Wednesday night.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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