Sports Betting News: The Ascendant L.A. Lakers and the NFL’s Drake Maye Effect

November 11, 2025

The Dallas Mavericks sacking general manager Nico Harrison—the same NBA general manager who dealt basketball sensation Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers during his prime last season—was the day's major sports story.

Harrison never lived down that transaction, first with supporters and subsequently with senior team officials under the direction of Patrick Dumont, the team governor.  Doncic is dominating the Lakers (8-3) with an average of 37.1 points per night, 9.4 rebounds, and 9.1 assists (MVP numbers), as ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith reminded everyone today. Meanwhile, Anthony Davis, a crucial component of the package that returned to the Mavs, is once again sidelined due to injury.

Smith stated that for the trade to be even remotely worthwhile, Davis had to be performing at an elite superstar level with the Mavs, which he hasn't been. The Mavs are ranked second in the Western Conference (3-8) and have one of the worst offenses in the NBA.

NBA: LeBron News's Laker Championship Odds

Austin Reaves, who has scored 30.3 points and dished out 9.3 assists in eight games on 48.0% FGs and 32.4% 3s per game, is also a rising star for the Lakers.  Who would have guessed that James would just serve as a supplement to that powerful core?  James has been permitted to participate in contact basketball activities despite his back issues, according to a Thursday report from ESPN's Shams Charania.  Thus, the 40-year-old's return to the starting lineup is growing closer.

“Yeah, we can’t wait. All of us can’t wait. It’s Bron, so it’s always good to have him back. So hopefully soon,” Doncic told reporters at the postgame press conference last night in Charlotte.

What are the current opinions of sportsbook traders on the Mavericks and the Lakers?  Recall that the Lakers are still the fourth-best team in the Western Conference despite Doncic missing four games and Reaves missing two.

“Not much movement with the Mavericks odds following the GM firing, as it’s hard to see it helping or hurting them too much on the actual floor,” said David Lieberman, Lead Pro Basketball Trader at Caesars Sportsbook. “Maybe there will be a bit less toxicity surrounding the team at home now, though. The team is just pretty flawed, and even with a healthy AD back, their lack of point guard options seems to be the biggest issue right now.

“I think the Lakers’ odds mostly have LeBron’s upcoming return baked in, but if he comes back and looks fully healthy, I could see the odds coming down a bit with how well they’ve started without him in the fold.”

The Mavericks are +8000 and the Lakers are +1100 to win it all at Caesars Sportsbook.  After opening at +1500, BetMGM now has the Lakers at +1300, behind the Thunder (+225), Nuggets (+500), Cavaliers (+700), and Warriors (+1200).

NFL: $30K Wager on the Patriots to Win the Super Bowl

Someone bet $30k on the New England Patriots to win the Super Bowl (+2200, to win $660k), probably taking note of quarterback Drake Maye's recent MVP-caliber showing.  With 2,555 yards and 19 touchdown passes completed, Maye is tied for third place among NFL passers. He also has the third-highest pass completion rate (71.7%).  In the AFC East, the Patriots (8-2) have jumped ahead of the Buffalo Bills (6-3) by a full two games.  The Pats have their sights set on home field throughout the postseason.

“The trading team has shortened the Patriots odds to win the Super Bowl from +12500 to +2000 during the team’s 7-game winning streak. While we have seen an uptick in action on New England, the Pats winning it all would be a good outcome for the sportsbook,” said Christian Cipollini, Senior Trading Manager, BetMGM.

The Chiefs +750 to +550, the Seahawks +6000 to +1000, and the Colts +10000 to +1100 lead the notable Super Bowl line change from Open to Now in a season where some of the pre-season betting favorites, including the Bills, have underperformed.

Remember UFC 322 this weekend as well

This Saturday's UFC 322 in Madison Square Garden in New York is the most stacked UFC card I've ever seen. The pay-per-view main event will start at 10 p.m. EST, while the preliminary card will begin at 8 p.m. EST.

The two co-main events are Valentina Shevchenko vs. Zhang Weili for the women's flyweight title and Jack Della Maddalena defending his welterweight belt against Islam Makhachev.

After a mild disaster at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi, which included a highly anticipated heavyweight title bout that ended in a no-contest after champion Tom Aspinall was poked in the eye by opponent Ciryl Gane, the UFC needs a humdinger.  Unaware of the severity of Aspinall's injury, the audience jeered.  In order to properly officiate and enforce eye pokes during fights, UFC referees are currently investigating new strategies.

Makhachev is the opponent on Saturday, and the odds are in favor of his emerging victorious.  Maddalena is at +215 on the DraftKings ML, while he is at -265.  Weili is at +105, while Shevchenko is the small favorite at -125.