The Los Angeles Lakers will take on the Los Angeles Clippers in a battle for Los Angeles on Thursday night. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Lakers-Clippers prediction and pick.
This has to be one of the most disappointing Lakers-Clippers games in recent memory.
The Lakers have fallen short of every single expectation set for them this season, as they were expected to be a championship contender. Instead, they're 27-34, a record that has them set to participate in the play-in tournament. The Clippers, marred by injuries, have still managed to outperform the Lakers. They're currently 33-21 and the eighth seed in the Western Conference, one spot ahead of the Lakers.
This is obviously an important game for both sides, so let's cut to the chase and get into the pick.
Here are the Lakers-Clippers NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Lakers-Clippers Odds
Los Angeles Lakers: +2.5 (-110)
Los Angeles Clippers: -2.5 (-110)
Over: 220 (-110)
Under: 220 (-110)
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Why The Lakers Could Cover The Spread
The Lakers should fare pretty well on defense in this game. The last two times they've faced the Clippers, the Lakers held them to 111 points or less. It helps that the Clippers only average 106 points per game while shooting 45% from the field. The Lakers have also been surprisingly good at defending against the three-pointer, as their opponents only shoot 34% from beyond the arc. That will be a huge factor against a Clippers team that typically shoots the lights out from three-point range.
While this is technically a Clippers home game, they won't gain any advantage from playing in Los Angeles.
Lakers fans typically take over the building whenever these two teams play, and the star power the Lakers possess almost ensures that that will be the case here. That actually makes a huge difference, as the Lakers have been significantly better at home than on the road. Head coach Frank Vogel's squad actually has a winning record at home, so the fans at Crypto.com Arena will play a big factor in this one.
Why The Clippers Could Cover The Spread
The Clippers will also rely on their defense to win this game. Tyronn Lue's team has been one of the best defensive units in the NBA, only giving up 107 points per game while holding opponents to some of the lowest shooting numbers in the league. The Lakers have been one of the most inefficient offenses in the NBA, so the elite Clippers defense should have tons of success on Thursday.
As mentioned before, they've faced the Lakers three times already, and the Lakers only scored more than 110 points in one of those games. This is a great matchup for the Clippers through and through.
The history between these teams makes this an especially encouraging matchup. The Clippers have won all three meetings this season, including games where the Lakers were far more healthy than they are now. LeBron James is questionable for this game, and Anthony Davis and Avery Bradley are both dealing with long-term injuries. It also helps that the Lakers are in the middle of a huge cold streak. They've lost six of their last seven games, including a humiliating beating at the hands of the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Lakers are playing flat-out bad basketball right now, and the Clippers should capitalize on that.
Final Lakers-Clippers Prediction & Pick
It's just impossible to trust the Lakers here. They've been playing terribly, and now they face a Clippers team that always plays soundly. Take the Clippers in this matchup.
Final Lakers-Clippers Prediction & Pick: Clippers -2.5 (-110)
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