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- The Lakers are 8.5 point home favorites tonight versus the Clippers
- The Clippers are 21-7 in their last 28 games
- See my best bets, picks and how to watch Lakers vs Clippers below
The battle of LA goes down tonight as the Lakers (33-21, 15-10 home) host the Clippers (27-28, 13-17 away). Online sportsbooks are siding with Lebron James, Luka Doncic and Co. in the latest NBA odds, pegging them as 8.5-point favorites. That number is way too high in my mind, especially given the Lakers struggles versus quality teams this season, and the Clippers recent form.
Keep reading for my best bets, picks for tonight’s matchup, plus how to watch the Lakers vs Clippers showdown.
Lakers vs Clippers Best Bets and Picks
- LA Clippers +8.5 (-118 at DraftKings)
- Derrick Jones Jr. Over 1.5 Threes (+114 at DraftKings)
There was a strong assumption that Kawhi Leonard wouldn’t play tonight on the second night of a back-to-back. However, Leonard is trending towards suiting up, and sportsbooks around the industry are offering Kawhi props, suggesting he’ll be in the lineup.
Kawhi’s presence is huge, as he’s one of the world’s best defenders, which is imperative for limiting Doncic’s production. Doncic, a top-five NBA MVP odds contender, leads the league in scoring with 32.8 points per game, while ranking third in assists, and fourth in made threes.
Leonard meanwhile, is the league leader in steals and ranks fourth all-time in defensive rating. He’s not just getting it done on defense however, as he’s averaging 28 points per game in February, and has now scored at least 20 points in 34 straight games.
He’s one of the reasons the Clippers are the hottest team in the league right now, but he’s certainly not the only one to credit. The Clippers enter play tonight winners of 21 of their last 28 games, and are 2-1 versus the Lakers this season. Since December 19th, they rank fourth in offensive rating and ninth in defensive rating.
Newcomer Bennedict Mathurin has been an offensive force and stat stuffer since joining the team, and was instrumental in last night’s upset victory over the Nuggets. He poured in a game-high 38 points, to go along with 5 rebounds and 4 assists in his Clippers home debut.
LA Clippers Team Stats – Since December 19th
As for the Lakers, they’ve been a school yard bully all season. Yes, their record looks impressive on paper, but a closer look reveals major struggles against quality competition. The Lakers have beaten one top-10 team since early November, and are 6-12 in their last 18 games versus top-20 opponents.
Despite having six more victories than the Clippers they own the exact same Net Rating, and the Lakers are the only team in the NBA with an above .500 record to boast a negative Net Rating (-0.3). They’re incredibly top heavy, with Doncic, James and Austin Reeves accounting for 69% of their points, but the Clippers actually set up well to slow down the trio.
The Clippers have a ton of defenders with size, led by Leonard, Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr. Those three can all switch onto Doncic to give him problems, and while you’ll never completely shut him down, they can make him work for every bucket.
In their own end, the Lakers have no rim protection and are a bottom-eight defensive team. The Clippers have enough firepower led by Leonard and Mathurin, along with plenty of three-point shooting to not only keep this game close, but win outright. Leonard and Co. have covered in four straight games, all as underdogs, and are a good bet to do so again tonight.
Moving over to the NBA player props market, where I’m betting over 1.5 threes for Jones Jr. He’s cleared this line in three straight, but more importantly he’s amped up his three-point attempts to 6 per game during that stretch. Jones. Jr. is shooting 40% from beyond the arc this season, while the Lakers are bottom-seven in the league at defending triples.
Lakers vs Clippers How to Watch
Tip-off for the Lakers vs Clippers showdown is set for 7 pm PT, 10 pm ET from the crypto.com Arena, in Los Angeles, CA. ESPN will handle traditional broadcast duties, while you can stream the game in California on Spectrum Sports Net+ and the FanDuel Sports Network SoCal.
