We’re targeting a few underappreciated Los Angeles players against Golden State on Thursday with our top Lakers vs. Warriors NBA player props based on the best NBA odds from our best NBA betting sites.

The NBA is back in full force Thursday after a brief hiatus for the All-Star break. And neither the Los Angeles Lakers (30-26) nor the Golden State Warriors (27-26) can afford a loss in Thursday’s nightcap, which tips off at 10 p.m. on TNT.

Both of these teams are among the favorites by our NBA play-in tournament odds to make the four-team tournament in the Western Conference, which is all too familiar for these squads in recent years. The Lakers currently sit ninth in the West, just ahead of the 10th-place Warriors, as each team tries to stay above .500 over the final two months of the regular season.

These teams combined for 289 points during the last meeting on Jan. 27, but the Lakers will be without LeBron James (ankle) this time around. Which players can take advantage of what should be another high-scoring affair?

Along with our NBA best bets for Thursday, here are our best Lakers vs. Warriors NBA player props and NBA picks (odds via our

best NBA betting sites; Pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Lakers vs. Warriors NBA player props: Thursday

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Lakers vs. Warriors props

Austin Reaves Over 4.5 1Q points (+110 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

With James sidelined for the Lakers, the natural instinct would be to bet teammate Anthony Davis’ points prop. Yet I find myself more drawn to Austin Reaves assuming a larger scoring role in James’ absence is coming, especially early in the game.

Since Reaves entered the starting lineup on Jan. 3, he’s scored 17 points per game while averaging 4.6 points in the first quarter of those 22 starts. Those numbers jump to 19.7 and 6.1, respectively, in seven games with James sidelined.

Reaves scored eight and 11 points in the first quarter of James’ last two games on the shelf, and I’d expect him to get off to a hot start against a Warriors defense that’s been struggling early in games this season. These +110 odds via bet365 are the icing on the cake for a bet that should be priced at even money, at worst.

Stephen Curry Over 5.5 threes (-113 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

You’ll never need to twist my arm to bet the Over on Stephen Curry’s 3-point prop, but this feels like an especially prudent time to back the greatest shooter in NBA history.

Curry was on an all-time heater in the week before the All-Star break, attempting 16-plus threes in four of his final five games and sinking seven-plus in each of those four contests. Then he went supernova in the Stephen vs. Sabrina 3-Point Challenge before resting up before Thursday’s return to action.

His reward? A date with an exploitable Lakers defense that ranks 28th in 3-point attempts per game allowed (37.8) and made triples given up to opposing point guards (3.4). It feels like a 3-point eruption could be brewing on Thursday night.

Rui Hachimura Over 0.5 blocks (+120 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐

I’m less bullish on this bet than the other two, but this still feels like too generous of a price on Rui Hachimura to clear a fairly reasonable bar.

Hachimura is coming off a career-best performance before the All-Star break, when he scored 36 points against the Utah Jazz with James on the bench. That should help secure his playing time on Thursday, especially with James sidelined for the second straight game.

The 26-year-old has blocked at least one shot in five of six games this season when he’s received at least 33 minutes, like what he saw in that win over the Utah Jazz and should see again in this one. With at least one block in three of his last four games, too, I’ll happily grab this +120 price at bet365 on Hachimura staying active on the defensive end.

Lakers-Warriors NBA player props made Thursday at 1:35 p.m. ET.

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