A cross-town throw-down will be in the works as the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers go head-to-head on the hardwood! Join us for our NBA odds series where our Lakers-Clippers prediction and pick will be revealed.

Entering play with a dead-even 22-22 record overall, the Lakers are attempting to put their sloppy ways behind them as they've managed to win three out of their four previous games. Still very much alive in the thick of the Western Conference playoffs, the time is now for the Lakers to put forth some of their best play up to this point.

Could it finally be the Clippers who embark on a magical and deep run come postseason time? Throughout their team history, it has been the Clippers who have lurked in the shadow of the Lakers. Fast forward to the 2023-2024 regular season, and it may be the former that has the bigger championship aspirations. With a 27-14 record entering Tuesday's contest, the LA Clippers remain only 2.5 games back of the top spot in the Western Conference.

Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

NBA Odds: Lakers-Clippers Odds

Los Angeles Lakers: +8.5 (-110)

Moneyline: +295

Los Angeles Clippers: -8.5 (-110)

Moneyline: -370

Over: 230.5 (-110)

Under: 230.5 (-110)

How to Watch Lakers vs. Clippers

Time: 10:00 ET/7:00 PT

TV: TNT

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why The Lakers Could Cover The Spread/Win

Right off the bat, it will be the Lakers that will be at a large disadvantage with star forward LeBron James expected to sit Tuesday night's tilt out. At first glance, King James is dealing with a nagging ankle, and Lakers head coach Darvin Ham believes it's best to sit out the 39-year-old legend.

With LeBron being unavailable for play, it will be up to the likes of guys like Anthony Davis and D'Angelo Russell to pick up the pace in the scoring department. Although there has been some swirling rumors surrounding Russell and the chances of him getting dealt before the trade deadline, there is no doubt that the Lakers point guard is playing some of his best basketball of the season. In fact, Russell has scored at least 29 points in three of his last five games and will need to continue to be efficient from the floor.

Above all else, the most important aspect of this highly anticipated rivalry will be whether or not the Lakers can string enough stops consecutively against a star-studded Clipper starting five. On paper, the Lakers possess the 13th-ranked defensive rating in the NBA. As long as the Lakers don't get lazy on the defensive side of the ball and don't let up second-chance opportunities, then they'll be in good shape.

Why The Clippers Could Cover The Spread/Win

Meanwhile, there have been very few teams around the Association that are as hot as the Clippers. Believe it or not, the ‘Clips have won seven consecutive games at home and hold a 10-2 record in their last 12 games. Most impressively, the Clippers are coming off a historic come-from-behind victory over the Brooklyn Nets that saw Los Angeles outscore them 41-15 in the final 12 minutes of the contest. Even though this matchup between the two LA teams if often viewed as a “Neutral Site” game, the Clippers should hold an advantage as the designated home team in this one.

In order to find a way to cover the spread and send the Lakers back under the .500 mark, the Clippers will have to make it a focused effort to dominate the paint and take control of the rebounding battle. Like the Lakers who will be without LeBron James,  the Clippers will also be without the services of big man Ivica Zubac. Zubac is currently dealing with a right calf strain and will be missed in the center of the paint.

Fortunately, the Clippers own the fifth-best offensive rating in the league and are deadly in almost all areas with the basketball in their possession. All in all, there isn't one name on this roster that can't fill up the stat sheet in terms of scoring. Last time out, the ‘Clips had a whopping six names reach double-digit scoring. Whether it's the form of James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Russell Westbrook, or others, this lineup is as scary as it gets night in and night out.

Final Lakers-Clippers Prediction & Pick

It doesn't get much better than when these two rivals tip off for action! At the end of the day, the Lakers aren't even close to being on the same level as the Clippers right now. Take the LA squad which is scorching hot at the moment.

Click here for more betting news and predictions

Final Lakers-Clippers Prediction & Pick: Clippers -8.5 (-110)