Los Angeles Clippers vs. Los Angeles Lakers Prediction, NBA Odds
Inter-city rivals renew hostilities on Friday night as the Los Angeles Clippers make the short trip to the Crypto.com Arena to take on the Los Angeles Lakers in Western Conference action (10 p.m. ET, ESPN). The Lakers (33-21) sit fifth in the West at the All-Star break, while the Clippers (27-28) just bumped up to ninth with a surprising 115-114 home win over the Denver Nuggets on Thursday.
This is the fourth and final regular-season meeting between the teams, with the Clippers winning two of the first three, including a 112-104 decision on January 22 behind Kawhi Leonard’s 24 points.
Clippers vs. Lakers NBA Betting Odds
The Lakers enter this one as 7.5-point favourites on the NBA odds and look to improve upon their 29-24-1 spread record this season, while the Clippers sit at 28-27 ATS. Notably, the Clippers are just 2-7 straight up and 4-5 ATS on the second night of a back-to-back, and hold lofty +230 odds to pick up the win tonight while the Lakers are -295.
The total trends are nearly even for both clubs, though both rank in the top 12 in offensive rating and the bottom half in defensive rating, pointing toward a more offensive-minded affair. The over/under is set at 225.5 for this one.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers are difficult to peg right now. After moving on from James Harden and Ivica Zubac at the trade deadline, the franchise appeared to be pivoting, yet Leonard continues to keep them competitive. He’s averaging 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.1 steals, and Los Angeles has now won four of five after upsetting Denver.
Bennedict Mathurin, the key return from Indiana for Zubac, erupted for 38 points off the bench in Thursday night’s victory. Fatigue, however, could very easily rear its ugly head after a competitive, hard-fought win, especially against a rested, healthy and starry Lakers squad. With Darius Garland still sidelined and Bradley Beal out for the season, depth is a concern and the limited front-court is expected to struggle in keeping the Lakers off the glass and scoring in the paint tonight.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers expect to be at full strength, with Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Deandre Ayton all projected to suit up, joining LeBron James, who just became the oldest player to record a triple-double, before the All-Star break. It will mark just the 11th time in 55 games that LeBron, Reaves and Doncic will share the floor together.
Doncic, averaging 32.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.6 assists, hasn’t played for the Lakers since February 5, though he briefly appeared at All-Star Weekend. Reaves, who has missed 26 games, is averaging 25.4 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists, while LeBron James, who has missed 18 games this season, is averaging 22 points, 5.8 rebounds and 7.1 assists.
Reaves has missed both losses to the Clippers, and in the one 17-point win, Reaves, LeBron and Doncic combined for 99 points.
Head coach JJ Redick emphasized the importance of stacking wins out of the break, especially with no consecutive days off until late March. The Lakers rank seventh in West scoring (116.0 ppg) and are top 10 in defensive rebounding, and the Clippers are one of the worst teams in the NBA on the glass.
NBA Prediction: Who Will Win Clippers vs. Lakers?
The Lakers have dominated points in the paint and turnover margin in recent meetings, but came up short due to absences. Now healthy and rested, they face a Clippers squad on tired legs after an emotional win.
While the spread has climbed to 7.5, the situational edge is too clear. The Lakers’ top-end talent, rebounding advantage and ability to generate free throws should overwhelm a thin Clippers rotation. Expect Doncic and James to control the tempo and attack inside against a defence ranked 18th overall, delivering the Lakers a 129-114 victory.
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