Lakers vs. Mavericks Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Sunday, April 5

Luka Doncic won’t get a chance at revenge against his former team – the Dallas Mavericks – on Sunday night, as the Los Angeles Lakers star is out for the rest of the regular season with a Grade 2 hamstring strain.

Doncic may end up missing time in the playoffs, which is a huge blow to a Lakers team that is clinging to the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. Both the Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets have been red hot over the last few weeks, and they could end up catching the Lakers before the end of the regular season.

On top of that, Austin Reaves (oblique) is also set to miss multiple weeks for the Lakers, dooming their chances to make a real run in the postseason.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 left oblique muscle injury and is out for the remainder of the regular season.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 4, 2026

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Oddsmakers still have the Lakers favored against the tanking Mavericks, but L.A. is just 7-6 in the 13 games that Doncic has missed and won't have Reaves to pick up the slack.

As for Dallas, it doesn’t have much to play for this season, though rookie Cooper Flagg had 51 points in a loss to Orlando Friday and is making a final push for the league Rookie of the Year award.

I’m eyeing a player prop and a game pick on Sunday, but first let’s take a look at the betting odds for Sunday’s showdown.

Lakers vs. Mavericks Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

Lakers -3.5 (-110)
Mavs +3.5 (-110)

Moneyline

Lakers: -162
Mavs: +136

Total

232.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Lakers vs. Mavericks How to Watch

Date: Sunday, April 4
Time: 7:30 p.m. EST
Venue: American Airlines Center
How to Watch (TV): NBC/Peacock
Lakers record: 50-27
Mavs record: 24-53

Lakers vs. Mavericks Injury Reports

Lakers Injury Report

Luka Doncic -- out
Austin Reaves -- out
Marcus Smart -- out
Jarred Vanderbilt -- questionable

Mavs Injury Report

Dereck Lively II -- out
Kyrie Irving -- out
Marvin Bagley III -- probable
Moussa Cisse -- questionable
Caleb Martin -- out
Tyler Smith -- questionable
John Poulakidas -- probable

Lakers vs. Mavericks Best NBA Prop Bet

These player prop picks were made before odds were released and are suggestions based on past player performance.

Lakers Best NBA Prop Bet

LeBron James OVER Assists

This season, LeBron James is averaging 20.3 points, 9.9 assists and 7.1 rebounds in seven games without Luka Doncic, and he should return to a primary playmaking role against Dallas on Sunday.

The Mavericks are just 27th in the NBA in opponent assists per game this season, and their defense has gone in the tank since the All-Star break (23rd in defensive rating).

James has 10 or more dimes in five of his seven games without Doncic, including a 12-assist game against Washington in the last matchup that the star guard missed. While the four-time champion has accepted a smaller role in the offense in recent weeks, he has shown he can take over games with his elite passing.

Lakers vs. Mavericks Prediction and Pick

The loss of Doncic is huge for the Lakers when it comes to locking up the No. 3 seed and the first round of the playoffs, but I don’t expect it to hinder them too much in this game.

Dallas is 2-8 in its last 10 games, and it has a net rating of -10.3 since the All-Star break. Even with Flagg scoring 51 points on Friday, the Mavericks still lost by 11 points to an Orlando team that has been extremely shaky in the 2025-26 season.

The Lakers have to rely on for offense, and they’ve won seven of the 13 games that Doncic has missed this season, including a win over the lowly Wizards on Monday. Now, Washington is much worse than Dallas, but this spread suggests a much closer game that the Mavs have played lately.

The Lakers are also 12-9 against the spread when favored on the road this season, so I don’t mind laying the points in what feels like a must-win matchup if they want to keep the No. 3 seed.

Pick: Lakers -3.5 (-110 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

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