It’s the Lake Show in Los Angeles — with a new look.

Luka Doncic may reignite the old “Showtime Lakers” on Monday in what is slated to be his team debut after being listed as probable for the Western Conference clash. 

Up against the Jazz, one of the league’s worst teams, the Lakers are widely expected to annihilate Will Hardy’s group and flex their newly acquired muscle. 

However, there could be some growing pains as Doncic is a ball-dominant superstar who may have difficulty fitting into a Laker team that is playing its best basketball of the season. 

Los Angeles has won 11 of its last 13 games, including five straight.

Jazz vs. Lakers odds

Even as LeBron James sat Saturday against the Pacers, guard Austin Reaves posted a Herculean 45 points in the victory. 

The chemistry and overall vibes in Los Angeles are through the roof.

But does Doncic throw that off for them in the interim? 

This is truly the first time that James has not been the best player on his own team. How he handles that will tell us a lot about how to value the Lake Show going forward. 

Los Angeles enters Monday as a 13-point favorites at FanDuel, although that has been bet down significantly from the 16.5-point opening line.

It would be somewhat curious to see the Lakers cover even this big spread if Walker Kessler and Lauri Markkanen do indeed play. 

Betting on the NBA?

Markkanen and Kessler were initially listed as questionable, but it appears that they have been removed from the injury report and it is likely they will play Monday.

It’s a tough spot for the Lakers if Kessler and Markkanen do play.

The Jazz big men could give the Lakers fits, as Los Angeles has no starting center after the trade with the Hornets for Mark Williams was shockingly rescinded over the weekend. 

Utah averages 45.5 team rebounds per game, sixth-best in the NBA, most of which surely comes off the back of Kessler (11.9 rebounds) and Markkanen (6.8).

Add in that the Jazz traded for John Collins, and you have a big team in Utah that actually matches up very well against the Lakers. 

We’re backing the Jazz against the spread in this one, despite the fanfare going into this game. The Lakers will be fun to watch but will struggle in the paint. 

THE PLAY: Jazz +13 (-110, FanDuel)

Why Trust New York Post Betting

Erich Richter is a brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt but he has a black belt in MMA betting. During the football season he’s showcased massive profits at The Post in the player prop market the last two seasons. While constantly betting long shots, his return on investment is 30.15 percent since 2022.