In the midst of Kobe Bryant’s retirement tour, the Los Angeles Lakers have quietly become a good bet. 

Los Angeles enters Wednesday’s showdown with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers on a four-game ATS streak, and have flipped their fortunes at the sportsbook since Christmas, posting a 15-10 ATS mark (6-19 SU) in the last 25 games, starting with their showcase against the rival Clippers on the holiday.

Before that December 25 outing, L.A. was 5-24 SU and 10-19 ATS – covering just 34 percent of the time, despite some being an underdog in all but two of those games. But since then, the Lakers are 60 percent ATS winners facing an average spread of almost +9.5 points in that span. 

Earlier this season, when Bryant announced his retirement, we broke down his impact on Los Angeles’ betting results since the 2004-05 NBA season, when Shaquille O’Neal was traded to the Miami Heat, leaving Bryant as the go-to guy in La-La Land. And that analysis wasn’t kind to Kobe, with data revealing that the more Bryant did on the scoresheet, the less the Lakers covered the spread.

However, much like Los Angeles’ recent ATS results, that trend has been flipped on its ear in 2015-16. With a group of youngsters and underperforming veterans on the roster, Bryant has become the X-factor for Lakers bettors and their chances of covering the spread each night.

Heading into Wednesday, Bryant is averaging just under 17 points per game. Los Angeles has gone just 5-15 ATS when he scores below that average this season, and has excelled when Bryant shows flashes of his former self.

In games in which Kobe drops 20 or more points, L.A. has produced a 9-6 ATS mark. And isolating those games in which Bryant scored 25 or more, the Lakers are a profitable 6-1 ATS. During this current four-game ATS run, the 37-year-old shooting guard has posted outputs of 38, 27, 25, and 19 points, averaging 27.25 points per game in this span.

Bryant seems to be peaking at a perfect time, with LeBron and the Cavaliers up next. Basketball fans could be witnessing the final showdown between these two talents – depending on Bryant’s health come their scheduled March 10 meeting in L.A. This is a grudge match that has been one-side in James’ favor since he came into the league in 2003. 

Kobe and LeBron have faced each other 20 previous times, with James’ teams (Cleveland, Miami, Cleveland) going 14-6 SU and ATS in those head-to-head battles with Bryant and the Lakers. James has outscored Bryant by an average of 28.4 to 25 points per game in those battles. 

Perhaps the most intriguing trend to come out of those Kobe-LeBron wars is that the Under has been a significantly smarter wagers, with 16 of those 20 games playing Under the total.

Cleveland is a 15-point home favorite hosting Los Angeles Wednesday, with the overnight total being sent out at 207. The Lakers are 10-12 ATS as double-digit underdogs and 2-4 ATS when getting 15 or more points from oddsmakers. The Cavaliers are 6-7-1 ATS as double-digit chalk this year, including covering as big favorites in their last two games. 

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