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The Washington Wizards will battle the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Wizards-Lakers prediction and pick.
It's been a long time since the Wizards have been the better team in this matchup, but there's an argument to be made for them here. Washington has earned a 29-35 record on the season, but that isn't totally indicative of their play. The Wizards have a tendency to keep things close with teams that are better than them, indicating that they're slightly better than their record suggests. The Lakers, on the other hand, deserve no such praise. Los Angeles is 28-37 on the season, one of the most disappointing records in the NBA. That mark is good for the ninth seed in the Western Conference, but the Lakers may not have that spot for long. The New Orleans Pelicans have been gaining ground on LA, making this game all that much more important.
Here are the Wizards-Lakers NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Wizards-Lakers Odds
Washington Wizards: +4.5 (-112)
Los Angeles Lakers: -4.5 (-108)
Over: 229 (-110)
Under: 229 (-110)
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Why The Wizards Could Cover The Spread
Washington has been the definition of mediocre, particularly on offense. The good news is that mediocre is good enough to put up a ton of points on the Lakers. Los Angeles ranks as one of the worst defenses in the league, as they allow a whopping 113 points per game. The Lakers also give up 50 points in the paint per game, the third-worst figure in the league. Washington currently averages the fourth-most points in the paint per game, so this looks like a great matchup for the Wizards offense.
The Lakers are dealing with a plethora of injuries in this contest. Superstar forward LeBron James is day-to-day with a knee injury, while starting shooting guard Malik Monk is dealing with a shoulder injury. Backup forward Talen Horton-Tucker is also questionable for this contest. Los Angeles isn't a particularly deep team to begin with, so these injuries could be a huge blow to their winning chances.
Why The Lakers Could Cover The Spread
The Lakers' offense should be able to keep up with Washington's offense. Los Angeles scores a ton of points per game, but they don't shoot the ball particularly well. Luckily, the Wizards allow their opponents to shoot nearly 46% from the field on decent shooting efficiency numbers. Washington just gave up 115 points to the Los Angeles Clippers, a notoriously bad offensive team while allowing 123 points to the Indiana Pacers the night before. The Lakers shouldn't have too much trouble scoring here.
Home court advantage will play a big part in this matchup. Los Angeles has somehow earned a winning record at Crypto.com Arena this season while posting a 9-21 record when they play anywhere else. It's clear that the Lakers are far more comfortable when they play on their home floor. The Wizards are also less comfortable when playing on the road, as shown by their 40% road winning percentage and their 50% home winning percentage.
Final Wizards-Lakers Prediction & Pick
Picking the Lakers as favorites in almost any game is borderline unjustifiable. They've been one of the worst teams in the league at covering as a favorite, and they've been playing terrible basketball overall lately. Take Washington to cover.
Final Wizards-Lakers Pick: Washington Wizards +4.5 (-112)
