🏀 Lakers vs. Warriors Player Props Today: NBA Picks & Best Bets (April 9)

Our top NBA player props for Lakers vs. Warriors today feature LeBron James stepping up as a distributor, our best same-game parlay, and more.

Corey Scott

Last Updated: April 9, 2026 6:50 PM EDT • 3 minute read

Pictured: Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23), seen here looking on during a game, is featured in our Lakers vs. Warriors player props today. Photo by Jerome Miron / Imagn Images.

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📡 SBR Edge: James on a Passing Mission in San Francisco

My Lakers vs. Warriors player props today feature Brandin Podziemski Over 15.5 points (-105). He has gone over this number in five of his last six games when playing without Stephen Curry, who is out tonight. I wrap up my NBA best bets with LeBron James Over 9.5 assists (+100), as he becomes the No. 1 distributor on the team when Luka Doncic is out.

🏀 Best Lakers vs. Warriors player props today: NBA picks for April 9

See all of our experts' NBA picks based on the latest NBA odds.

💰 Pick	💡 Best odds	⚖️ Bet size	🧠 Why I'm making this bet
Brandin Podziemski Over 15.5 points	-105 via BetMGM	1.05u -> 1u	Has scored 20+ points in 5 of last 6 w/o Steph
LeBron James Over 9.5 assists	+100 via BetMGM	1u -> 1u	Has recorded 10+ assists in last 5 games w/o Luka

Total wagered: 2.05 units | Max profit: 2 units

💰 Best Lakers vs. Warriors prop bet

Follow all of our NBA analysis and expert predictions this season.

Brandin Podziemski Over 15.5 points (-105)

The Warriors will be short-handed tonight, meaning Podziemski will probably become the No. 1 option again. He has scored 20 or more points in five of his last six games without Curry, including a 25-point outing against the Cleveland Cavaliers in San Francisco on April 2.

Podziemski has attempted 13 or more shots in four of his last six without Curry, so if he reaches that number of field-goal attempts tonight, this bet will likely cash. BetMGM lists Podziemski Over 15.5 points at -105, but this bet is good up to -125 on the best sports betting sites.

💸 More NBA expert picks

I feature Quentin Grimes, Jarace Walker, and Bam Adebayo in my NBA player props tonight.

🔥 More Lakers vs. Warriors prop picks

The Lakers have the 17th-shortest odds to win the NBA Finals after Austin Reaves' injury.

LeBron James Over 9.5 assists (+100)

The Lakers' top four distributors are Doncic, James, Austin Reaves, and Marcus Smart - and three of those four are sidelined tonight.

James will likely lead the Lakers in usage rate tonight, and he has thrived as a playmaker when the roster is depleted. Over his last five games without Doncic, he has dished out 10 or more assists each time, capping that stretch with a 15-assist outing against Dallas on Sunday. His Over on 9.5 assists is +100 at BetMGM, but I would play this up to -115 on the best NBA betting sites.

🏀 Celtics vs. Knicks predictions

I feature Jayson Tatum and Jalen Brunson in my Celtics vs. Knicks player props.

🚀 Lakers vs. Warriors same-game parlay

James' assists prop when Doncic doesn't play is a must-bet Over. However, there's no value in parlaying that with the Lakers' spread, as the sportsbooks short you on the correlation. Bet365 offers +300 if you combine James' Over on assists with the Warriors' spread, though, which isn't a bad price.

(Note: I haven't bet this parlay yet, as I'm waiting for +305 odds or greater.)

💵 Lakers vs. Warriors SGP picks

LeBron James Over 9.5 assists
Warriors -2.5

Best odds: +300 via bet365

💵 My betting record for NBA picks

All NBA picks, including SGPs, have been tracked since Feb. 10.

Bet type	Record	Net profit	ROI
Overall	101-120-4	-18.96 units ❌	-7.5% ❌
Player props	93-95-4	-21.09 units ❌	-8.7% ❌
Parlays	7-25	+0.63 units ✅	6.1% ✅
Spreads	1-0	+1.5 units ✅	87% ✅

💡 How I'm betting Lakers vs. Warriors

I'm allocating 2.05 units for the bets in this article, which is what I would usually risk on two player props.

While I'm confident in both of these bets directionally, they aren't priced too far from where I'd set them. If I thought I had a larger edge, I would risk up to 2.5 units per bet - or up to 5 units in a once-in-a-year type scenario. I treat 1 unit as 1% of my bankroll.

🚑 Lakers vs. Warriors injuries

📺 How to watch Lakers vs. Warriors

Date: Thursday, April 9
Tipoff: 10 p.m. ET
Location: Chase Center (San Francisco)
TV: Streaming on Prime Video

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Written by:
Corey Scott

Corey is a Publishing Editor at Sportsbook Review and holds a diploma in Radio and Television Sports Broadcasting from the College of Sports Media in Toronto. He is one of the NBA player-prop specialists at SBR and focuses on the impact of injuries to identify where the market has been slow to adjust. Corey also frequently bets sides in the NBA, NFL, MLB, and CFL, typically using a top-down approach to beat the closing line. His work has appeared across the USA Today Network, Gambling.com Group, and Athlon Sports. With more than a decade of sports betting experience, Corey is familiar with all types of operators, from regulated sportsbooks to less conventional platforms, though he primarily uses Pinnacle and FanDuel. While he rarely bets parlays anymore - unless they are clearly mispriced - his biggest win came from a seven-team parlay at +13675 odds. Corey visits Las Vegas multiple times a year. His favorite resort is the Wynn/Encore, though he can be found at any sportsbook offering an off-market number.