Los Angeles Lakers 2024-25 Season Preview, Betting Odds

The window for the Los Angeles Lakers to viably compete for an NBA championship is slowly closing if not shut entirely, and as we'll dive into with this 2024-25 season preview, oddsmakers aren't exactly confident in the team's chances of exceeding whatever limited expectations they may have.

Here's a look at all of the important betting odds and futures pertaining to the Lakers in what could ultimately turn out to be a fascinating spectacle of a campaign, albeit one that's par for the course.

Los Angeles Lakers' 2024 Offseason Additions

Los Angeles Lakers' 2024 Offseason Departures

Los Angeles Lakers' 2025 NBA Championship, Western Conference, Pacific Division Betting Odds

Odds as of October 17, 2024 at FanDuel

The Lakers have been a mainstay of the league's play-in tournament since its inception, needing the extra action to even qualify for the playoffs three of the last four years. Unfortunately, that's meant securing one of the lower seeds in the Western Conference and therefore a more difficult opponent early on, resulting in a pair of first-round exits in 2021 and 2024 to the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets, respectively. 

A run to the conference finals in 2023 before bowing out to Denver offered optimism that Los Angeles was on the verge of breaking through, but squaring off with the Nuggets two-straight years put a kibosh on those dreams.

Best Bet: Los Angeles Lakers To Win Pacific Division, +500

With a new head coach in JJ Redick who has zero experience on the job, even with a megastar duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis leading the charge, it's difficult to imagine the Lakers making a significant-enough leap in the standings to challenge the elite squads of the West and have another crack at Larry O'Brien.

James will have another season under his belt and will be turning 40 years old on Dec. 30, and even though he continues to look Father Time square in the eye and defy his power, a drop off in production - no matter how small - could come at any point. He proved he could still be the best player on the planet at the Olympic Games, mind you, and betting against him is forever a dangerous notion, but what surrounds him heading into his 22nd season isn't striking fear into a majority of opponents. 

The Pacific was the tightest of all six divisions last season, with a mere five games separating all five teams. This provides purple and gold fans enough reason to think the team can at least finish first in that cluster. Last year's winner in the Los Angeles Clippers lost Paul George this offseason, and the Golden State Warriors parted with a key component of their four recent title teams in Klay Thompson.

Los Angeles Lakers' 2024-25 NBA Win Total, Make Playoffs Odds

Odds as of October 17, 2024 at FanDuel

The Lakers finished with a 47-35 record in 2023-24, which was a four-win improvement over the prior year. Oddsmakers only have their projected win total at 42.5, though, as the team didn't make any noteworthy acquisitions this summer while other teams in the West hit big in free agency and through trades. 

Best Bet: UNDER 42.5 Wins, -110

A lot went right last season for Los Angeles to reach 47 victories, mainly with Davis suiting up for 76 games when injuries tend to keep him sidelined more often than not.

Now that can certainly be replicated again, but history would lead us to believe it won't. If that's the case, James will be searching for anyone to step up alongside him, and the options are limited.

Los Angeles Lakers' 2024 NBA Cup Odds

Odds as of October 17, 2024 at FanDuel

Los Angeles made history as the first-ever winners of the NBA Cup, now branded the Emirates NBA Cup. The Suns, New Orleans Pelicans, and Indiana Pacers were bounced in the knockout stage en route to the crown, but such success still only has the Lakers with the 14th-best odds to repeat in December.

Los Angeles Lakers' 2024-25 NBA Awards Odds

Odds as of October 17, 2024 at FanDuel

Best Bet: Dalton Knecht For NBA Rookie Of The Year, +2000

The Lakers were gifted a prospect of Dalton Knecht's ability with the 17th pick when the Tennessee sharpshooter was projected to be taken in the lottery. He then made three appearances in Las Vegas for the Summer League and was the standout of the roster, averaging 21 points while connecting on over three 3-pointers per contest. 

After ranking just 24th overall in made 3-pointers last season (11.8), Los Angeles could use a player with Knecht's ability as a marksman and instantly give him ample playing time. With Redick at the helm, who was a sniper in his own right during his career, Knecht will surely find himself in situations where he'll be seeing open looks, as Redick should know how best to utilize him. 

This year's Rookie of the Year race is basically a crapshoot, so someone like Knecht can sneak in and steal the hardware from someone taken well above him.

2024-25 NBA Team Previews, Betting Odds