Is LeBron James Playing Today? (Injury Update, Betting Impact for Lakers vs. Thunder)

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James missed time earlier this season with a groin injury, but he is expected to suit up on Sunday against the Oklahoma City Thunder based on the Lakers' latest injury report.

James is listed as probable with a groin strain, and he hasn't missed a game since returning on March 22. The Lakers certainly need James in the lineup against the No. 1 team in the West on Sunday.

This is a huge game for the Lakers, as they are just 0.5 games up on the No. 4-seeded Denver Nuggets and 1.5 games up on the No. 8 seeded Memphis Grizzlies. A top-three seed is far from guaranteed entering the final week of the regular season.

With James in action, the Lakers have a much better chance of upsetting the Thunder in what could be a potential playoff matchup later this season.

The Lakers are 8.5-point underdogs in this matchup, but it's worth noting that they only lost to the Thunder by eight points in their meeting earlier this season (before the Luka Doncic trade). DraftKings is giving the No. 1-seeded Thunder the edge, but the Lakers could be a sneaky bet to cover with James expected to play.

Los Angeles is 11-9 against the spread as a road underdog in the 2024-25 season.

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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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