Neither Luka Doncic nor Austin Reaves will play on Saturday night for the Los Angeles Lakers, which should open doors for some other players.
The pregame narrative: LeBron James is still capable of scoring 25-plus points in any matchup, but that's especially true given his team's notable absences — and the fact that he tends to dominate the Portland Trail Blazers. L.A. has lost four of its past five and is a 3.5-point road underdog.
Check out my Lakers vs. Trail Blazers SGP predictions for Jan. 17, featuring prop picks on LeBron, Gabe Vincent and Donovan Clingan.
BET FINDER: Search & Bet!
-> Join NorthStar Bets to start betting on the NBA
Lakers vs. Trail Blazers predictions
Parlay: Vincent 2+ threes | LeBron 25+ points | Clingan 10+ rebounds (+335)
Vincent 2+ threes (-130): With Doncic and Reaves both out tonight, Vincent could crack the Lakers' starting lineup. But even if he doesn't, I expect him to fire plenty of 3s.
Doncic and Reaves shoot far more 3-pointers than anyone else on the Lakers, combining to average 17.6 attempts per game. At least some of that production is going to have to be spread out among other players.
Enter Vincent, who is currently averaging 1.4 makes in 19 games (six starts).
-> Build your Lakers vs. Blazers SGP at NorthStar Bets
There's nothing special about the veteran guard's 3-point production, but he has been a model of consistency in recent games.
Since returning from a nine-game absence, Vincent has attempted at least five 3s in five consecutive games. He's gone 10-for-27 (37.0%) in that span and is 4-1 vs. this prop.
Getting starter's minutes tonight would help, but either way, he's demonstrated a stable enough shot volume to make this worth betting on.
NBA SGP legs
LeBron 25+ points (-200): This is the leg I'm most confident in, and the -200 odds back that up.
- LeBron is going ageless-wonder-mode this month, putting up 27.9 PPG on 54.7% shooting at 41 years young.
- He is 6-1 vs. this scoring prop in January.
-> Back Lakers' superstar LeBron James vs. the Blazers
On the season, LeBron is averaging 22.7 PPG ... but this will be his first time playing without either Doncic or Reaves. Given that those guys combine to average just over 60 points, that makes a huge difference.
He can't (and won't) do it all himself, but the King should cash this milestone bet against the Blazers under these circumstances.
Also, LeBron is 7-0 vs. this prop (34.3 PPG) when facing the Blazers dating back to the start of the 2022-23 season.
Clingan 10+ rebounds (-182): In addition to the Lakers missing two above-average rebounding guards, they have a pair of bigs (Deandre Ayton, Jaxson Hayes) listed as questionable on the injury report.
Tonight should be a prime opportunity for Clingan to shine.
For one thing, he has already dominated the glass against the Lakers, snagging 14 rebounds when they matched up in October (14 rebounds).
Also, this line isn't asking much of Clingan when you consider he's averaging 10.7 RPG.
The 7-foot-2 centre is 23-15 vs. this milestone prop.
Lakers vs. Trail Blazers SGP made at 11:15 a.m. ET on Jan. 17, 2026.
