Lakers’ title odds plummet after injuries to Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves
Nov 18, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) is congratulated by forward LeBron James (23) and guard Luka Doncic (77) after a three-point basket in the second quarter at Crypto. com Arena. The Los Angeles Lakers’ late-season surge has come to an abrupt halt.
After going 14-2 in March and looking like one of the NBA’s hottest teams, the Lakers are now facing a dramatically different outlook following injuries to their two leading scorers, Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. Dončić suffered a hamstring injury during Thursday’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, leaving the court with a visibly dejected expression. The injury immediately cast uncertainty over a Lakers team that had been building momentum heading into the postseason.
Before Dončić’s injury on April 2, the Lakers were listed at 20/1 odds to win the NBA championship at BetOnline. ag, with 12/1 odds to win the Western Conference. Those numbers quickly shifted following the injury, dropping to 55/1 for the title and 28/1 to win the West.
The outlook worsened even further after news of Reaves’ oblique injury, which is expected to sideline him at the start of the playoffs. With both stars unavailable, the Lakers’ championship odds have now fallen to 150/1, while their Western Conference odds sit at 80/1. The shift underscores the magnitude of the losses for a team that had found its rhythm behind Dončić’s scoring and playmaking, along with Reaves’ emergence as a reliable secondary option.
The duo had helped stabilize the Lakers’ offense and elevate their standing in a competitive Western Conference. Just weeks ago, Los Angeles appeared to be rounding into form at the perfect time, with Dončić playing at an MVP-caliber level and the team developing strong chemistry alongside LeBron James. Now, the focus shifts to how the Lakers can stay afloat without two of their primary offensive engines.