Is Austin Reaves Playing Tonight? (Injury Update, Betting Impact for Lakers vs. Rockets Game 3)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves has been upgraded to questionable out for Game 3 of the first round against the Houston Rockets as he continues to recover from an oblique injury.

Austin Reaves (oblique) listed questionable for Friday.
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) April 23, 2026

Earlier in the week, Reaves reportedly has progressed to one-on-one court work, and it appears he's nearing a return to action. L.A. currently has a 2-0 series lead over the Rockets, but it is set as a 9.5-point underdog in Game 3 with Reaves still on the injury report and Luka Doncic out.

Updates on Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, per @ShamsCharania:

- Lakers not expecting Doncic to return in Round 1
- Reaves further along than Doncic in rehab process
- Reaves has started 1-on-1 on-court work; needs to go through 3-on-3 and 5-on-5
- Reaves tracking to return late…
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) April 21, 2026

L.A. picked up back-to-back wins as a home underdog, and it's relied heavily on LeBron James, Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart to run the offense. If Reaves can return at some point in this series, it would be a huge boost for L.A.

This season, injuries limited Reaves to just 51 games, but he put together a career year when he was on the floor. The star guard averaged 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game while shooting 49.0 percent from the field and 36.0 percent from 3. He injured his oblique in a loss to Oklahoma City earlier this month, and his initial timeline to return was anywhere between four and six weeks.

Here's a look at how to bet on the Lakers in the prop market with Reaves questionable on Friday.

Best Lakers Prop Bet vs. Rockets

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

LeBron James OVER 15.5 Rebounds and Assists (-131)

I’ve been targeting LeBron James’ passing and rebounding a ton in recent games, and I’m not going to stop in Game 3 of the playoffs.

James had 21 rebounds and assists in Game 1 and 15 rebounds and assists in Game 2, falling just short of this prop. He’s also averaging 15.0 potential assists and 13.5 rebounds chances per game in the postseason, giving him a really solid floor in this market.

Houston has not had an answer for the four-time champion, and James showed in the regular season that he can stuff the stat sheet when Luka Doncic is sidelined. He averaged 22.2 points, 10.3 assists and 7.0 rebounds in 11 games without the star guard.

I’m buying LeBron to lead the way for L.A. again as it attempts to take a 3-0 series lead.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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