Los Angeles Clippers vs Los Angeles Lakers betting tips and predictions for Wednesday’s NBA game on ESPN. The two LA teams battle for the 4th and final time this season with the 6th seed in the Western Conference on the line. Read on for all our free predictions and betting tips.
Los Angeles Clippers
Having not played for 3 days the Clippers have a clear rest advantage here as the Lakers just got out of Salt Lake City with an overtime win over the Jazz last night. However, that doesn’t necessarily guarantee them a victory here, although they are 3-0 in head-to-head meetings with the Lakers this season.
Not having Paul George will be a huge handicap here for head coach Ty Lue, the Clippers have lost back-to-back games at Memphis and at New Orleans. They do have a positive record in home games this season though at 21-18 SU, this is technically a home game for them even though they share the building with the Lakers. The Clippers are 3-point favorites here, which is understandable considering they are 10-0 in the last 10 meetings with the bigger team in LA.
Los Angeles Lakers
LeBron James once again missed the go-to running layup as time expired in regulation which would have given the Lakers a victory, but then he proceeded to score 9 points in overtime to put them over the hump and beat the Utah Jazz last night. LA failed to cover as 8 point favorites, but getting a win was the most important thing and they were able to do it.
Now they’re in a position to battle for the 6th seed, a win tonight puts them ahead of the Clippers in the standings with just 2 games remaining after that. With the Clippers leading the regular season series 3-0, they’ll have the tie-breaker regardless of how tonight’s game ends so it’s important for the Lakers to finish with the better record if they want to face Sacramento in the first round.
The Lakers have caught fire just at the right time having won 7 of 8 games. The head-to-head record here isn’t in their favor, but I still feel like they can pull off the upset here. Go with LeBron and co. plus the extra points.
Los Angeles Clippers vs Los Angeles Lakers Predictions & Odds
With the stakes being so high here, there is no way we see a high scoring game I think. Yes, the Lakers have gone over in 5 games in a row and yes their road record is 23-16 on the O/U, but if they don’t keep this game under control things could escalate quickly and that won’t do them any favors. The Clippers will also have to show why they are one of the better one-on-one defensive teams in the league.
Adding Westbrook to the mix has sped things up a bit, but they are still only 19th in pace of play averaging just over 100 possessions per game. The last 10 meetings have averaged 219.5 points per game, while 2 of the 3 most recent meetings have gone under. So even if this game ends in the high 220s we would still go under as the projected total is at 230.5 points. Back the under.
