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The Los Angeles Lakers (2-8) face the Los Angeles Clippers (6-5) on Wednesday. Tipoff is scheduled for 10 pm ET. Below we continue our NBA odds series with Lakers-Clippers prediction and pick.
The Lakers have had a rough start to the season and have lost three consecutive games. The Lakers have covered just two of their ten games, with 50% of them going over. For the Clippers, they've won four of their last five and are fresh off a comeback victory over the Cavaliers. The Clippers, too, have struggled against the spread as they're just 4-7 ATS. 82% of their matchups have gone under. The Clippers won all four matchups between the teams last season by four, one, three, and 21-point margins.
Here are the Lakers-Clippers NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Lakers-Clippers Odds
Los Angeles Lakers: +4.5 (-110)
Los Angeles Clippers: -4.5 (-110)
Over: 220.5 (-108)
Under: 220.5 (-112)
Why The Lakers Could Cover The Spread
Things have not gone according to plan for the Lakers this season. LA lost their first five games before winning two in a row. Since then, however, they've lost three consecutive games – all by double digits. The Lakers have been brutal on both sides of the ball. They're 26th in scoring and last in offensive efficiency. On defense, they're 24th in points allowed and 17th in defensive efficiency.
The Lakers focus primarily on their two star forwards, LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Despite LeBron's advanced age, he's continued to defy Father Time and is putting together another stellar statistical season. LeBron is averaging 24.3 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 7.1 assists this season. He's also chipped in nearly two STOCKS (steals plus blocks) as he's done his all to mitigate LA's disastrous start. His scoring is down from recent years but that primarily has to do with a poor start from beyond the arc. James is shooting just 21% from three – a number bound to regress closer to his 34.5% career mark.
Outside of LeBron, Davis and guard Russell Westbrook have filled up the stat sheet, but that hasn't translated into much winning. Davis averages 23.2 points and 10.3 rebounds, while Westbrook chips in 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and six assists. Both players will need to be on their A-game for the Lakers to cover but pay special attention to guard Lonnie Walker IV. Walker is questionable for the game but has been a major X-factor in the early part of the season. He's averaged 15.3 PPG but has shown the ability to go up a notch when called upon. In LA's two wins, Walker has averaged 23 points per game. Whether or not he shows up could be a major indicator for those making a Lakers-Clippers prediction.
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Why The Clippers Could Cover The Spread
The Clippers have had an up-and-down beginning to the season but currently sit in seventh place in the Western Conference. The Clippers have been the definition of a “defense first” team. They rank seventh in both points allowed and defensive efficiency. Offensively, they've been abysmal, to say the least. The Clippers rank last in points per game and are 29th in offensive efficiency.
LAC has been carried by wing Paul George on offense. George is having a stellar season – averaging 25 PPG, 6.1 RPG, and 4.6 APG to go along with 1.7 steals. He's been relatively efficient, shooting 47.6% from the field and 36.9% from three but given his career numbers, there is certainly room to improve. However, in the continued absence of Kawhi Leonard, George has been far and away the primary option for the Clippers. He's attempting over six shots per game more than the next closest Clipper and has a sky-high 30.6% usage rate.
Outside of George, the Clippers have had to rely on a slew of veterans to pick up the slack. Journeyman Marcus Morris has been a revelation for LA this season. Morris is averaging 15.3 PPG with a pristine 49.1% field goal percentage. Along with Morris, fellow veteran John Wall has put together a bounce-back season in his return from injury. Wall comes off the bench for the Clippers and is still not playing in back-to-backs, but has averaged 12.8 points and 4.9 assists in just 22.3 minutes per game.
However, it is center Ivica Zubac who's been perhaps most important to LA's all-around game. The 7'0″ bruiser is averaging just 10.2 points per game, but his 11.1 rebounds per game rank seventh in the league. It is his defense that's really stood out. Zubac is averaging a career-high 2.5 blocks per game which is more than twice as many as he averaged last season. He has a tall task defending the Lakers' Anthony Davis tonight but given his play thus far he should be up to the task.
Final Lakers-Clippers Prediction & Pick
The Lakers continue to get an incredible amount of respect from markets despite their poor record and that's something we need to take advantage of while we still can. The Clippers are a playoff team and the Lakers are a lottery team.
Final Lakers-Clippers Prediction & Pick: Los Angeles Clippers -4.5 (-110)
