Los Angeles Clippers vs Los Angeles Lakers betting tips and predictions for Wednesday’s NBA game on ESPN. It is the 2nd meeting of the season between the two Los Angeles teams as the Clippers host the Lakers tonight at Crypto.com Arena. Read on for all our free predictions and betting tips.
Los Angeles Clippers
A little bit of positivity is back among the Clippers ranks after they ended Cleveland’s 8-game win streak on Monday. It was their 4th win in 5 games, a much needed boost of confidence considering what they are going through with their superstar Kawhi Leonard. There’s still no timetable for his return as he continues to rehab his knee injury, this team would have had a much better record than the 6-5 they have right now if he played more.
They did beat the Lakers by 6 points the first time they played them a couple of weeks ago, so tonight’s game comes just at the right time as they try and build some momentum. It was the 8th game in a row they were able to take down their cross-town rivals and also the 8th time in 9 meetings they were able to cover the spread.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers also have their own injury worries as Lebron James missed the game at Utah the other night resulting in a 23-point road loss. They are yet to win a road game in 4 attempts, but with a healthy James and Anthony Davis they’ve played solid over the last few games even if they are currently on a 3-game losing streak. Russell Westbrook had another great game with 22 points and 5 assist off the bench, but it was once again the shooting that let down the Lakers.
The good news is Patrick Beverly should also return to the line-up after missing a few games with an illness. His defense is much needed as LA has allowed 130 or more in 2 of the last 3 outings. Even though the Clippers are massive favorites on paper, you just never know when these two teams play.
Of the 5 most recent meetings, the Clippers have won by more than 6 points just once and with a fresh LeBron James and a healthy Anthony Davis, I think the Lakers can surprise us all here. Back them to cover the big spread here.
Los Angeles Clippers vs Los Angeles Lakers Predictions & Odds
It might be hard to believe, but the Lakers are averaging just 103.9 points per game over the last 10 meetings with the “other” team in LA as many people like to call the Clippers. They are having a hard time penetrating this defense and in the 1st meeting of the season they scored just 97 points against them. PG and co. are among the elite defenses in the NBA with the 4th best defensive efficiency and they also play one of the slower paces averaging just 96.3 possessions per game which ranks them in the bottom 10. The Lakers shooting is so bad analysts are having to go deep into the history books of the NBA to find teams that are worse than them right now.
They are 28th in effective field goal percentage, 27th in true shooting percentage and dead last in the NBA in offensive efficiency with just 101.8 points scored per 100 possessions. The 3rd best three-point shooter on this team is Russell Westbrook, that stat alone tells you just how bad they are from the perimeter. I think their only chance of winning tonight is if they play some defense, so let’s count on them to slow down the pace which should result in a lower scoring game. Back the under.
