LeBron Enters Game 1 at OKC as Biggest Underdog of His Career

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Across 1,960 career playoff and regular-season NBA games, LeBron James has never been a larger underdog than he is against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night. 

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According to Yahoo Sports’ Ben Fawkes, the 15.5-point Game 1 line represents the largest perceived deficit of James’ illustrious 23-year career. 

Key Takeaways

LeBron hasn’t been as large of a series underdog since 2006.

Bronny James has +500 odds of scoring 15 points in the upcoming series.

The Los Angeles Lakers are taking on a real-life Goliath in the form of the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are -15.5 at home ahead of tip-off in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals. 

James is already 11 regular-season games clear of Robert Parish and 39 playoff outings ahead of Derek Fisher for the NBA’s all-time record in career appearances. But while he has won four championships and produced countless unforgettable moments, he has never been a larger underdog than he is tonight.

The Lakers’ +600 moneyline odds at DraftKings suggest they only have a 14.3% chance to steal Game 1 on the road. Notably, they’re still without leading scorer Luka Doncic, who suffered a hamstring injury on April 2 against this same Thunder team.

Upsets aren’t impossible. The Lakers overcame huge +550 odds to win their first-round series against the Houston Rockets, eliminating a team they were given a 15.4% chance of beating in six games.

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However, in extending their season, they also accepted a date with a team that tormented them during the regular season. 

LeBron, Lakers face daunting task

The defending-champion and NBA Finals odds favorite Thunder (-155) went 4-0 against the Lakers during the regular season. Those wins came by nine, 29, 36, and 43 points, and they did not have MVP favorite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the nine-point victory.

DraftKings has the Thunder at -1600 (94% implied chance) to eliminate the Lakers and move on to the Western Conference Finals. LA is only +900 (10% chance) to continue past the series.

For context, here are all of…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/lebron-enters-game-1-okc-175900479.html

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Publish date : 2026-05-05 17:59:00

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