Los Angeles Lakers at Los Angeles Clippers Betting Preview
The Lakers (25-27) will be going to the Clippers‘ (26-27) home court to see if they can beat their hometown rival. Both teams have underperformed this season, and with the All-Star break coming up, they will need to make some significant moves if they want to have a chance to make it to the NBA playoffs later in the season. This rivalry game will be crucial for both teams, as they can shift the momentum to their favor with a win here.
A Look at the Lakers
LeBron James, the Lakers’ biggest star on the court, has missed the last four games due to a knee injury. He will miss this game against the Clippers, which hurts the Lakers’ chances of winning. Since losing James, the Lakers are 1-3, and over the last ten games, the Lakers are 4-6. But for a team that finished seventh last year in the Western Conference, it looks like they have more problems than just missing James for a handful of games.
The Lakers went from a top-five defensive team in the 2019-20 season to one of the worst defensive teams for the NBA 2021-22 season, ranking in the bottom five this season. Russell Westbrook, a player that the Lakers went out to get for this season, has underperformed compared to his numbers from last year. Westbrook is down in points, rebounds, and assists versus his numbers from last season, which has hurt the Lakers in crucial moments.
A Look at the Clippers
The Clippers are coming off a loss to the Indiana Pacers on Monday but have the advantage of having two days rest for their players. Those two days might be important for the Clippers, who have Keon Johnson (illness) and Ivica Zubac (calf) listed as game-time decisions for their game against the Lakers. With this rivalry game, the Clippers will need all the weapons they can muster to stay ahead of the Lakers in the Western Conference.
Who to Bet on in Lakers vs. Clippers
Last night, the Lakers had some ups and downs in their 99-94 win at home against the Portland Trail Blazers. In a game where the Lakers started with a 12 point lead at the end of the first quarter, they would only have a one-point lead at the half and be down by three at the end of the third quarter. Their fourth-quarter play will be what they will need to beat the Clippers.
The Clippers allowed the rookies on the Pacers roster to pick them apart during the last game they played, where they lost 116-122. For the Clippers to extend their winning streak against the Lakers to five games, they will need to focus on Westbrook. Since the NBA 2012-13 season, the Clippers are 29-7 against the Lakers, which favors the Clippers in this rivalry game.
With the Lakers’ 9-15 road record, 21-30 record against the spread, and James being out, along with the Clippers’ 15-12 home record and 26-27 against the spread record, the Clippers cover the 2.5 points at home.
