The Los Angeles Lakers (22-17) and Los Angeles Clippers (23-17) will meet in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 9:00 p.m. ET from the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. The game will broadcast live on SportsNet LA and NBA TV.
The Clippers are 4-point favorites over the Lakers on the spread (Clippers -4), with the over/under set at 214.5 total points. The Clippers are -175 favorites to win outright, while the Lakers are +145 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Lakers vs. Clippers predictions and NBA picks for Sunday, January 19.
Lakers vs. Clippers Picks, Prediction
Spread
With the Clippers favored by four points, seemingly assuming they will have the full benefits of "homecourt advantage" in this one, I will not be picking either side of the spread.
Moneyline
Similarly, I do not have a moneyline prediction for tonight's matchup.
Over/Under
My Clippers vs. Lakers best bet is on LeBron James Over 24.5 for a payout of +140 on FanDuel, which isn't exactly a total bet, but it does correlate with the Over.
My Pick: LeBron James Over 24.5 Points (+140)
Lakers vs. Clippers Odds
| Lakers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+4 -110 | 214.5 -110 / -110 | +145 |
| Clippers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-4 -110 | 214.5 -110 / -110 | -175 |
- Lakers vs. Clippers spread: Clippers -4
- Lakers vs. Clippers over/under: 214.5 total points
- Lakers vs. Clippers moneyline: Lakers +145, Clippers -175
- Lakers vs. Clippers best bet: LeBron James Over 24.5 Points
Lakers vs. Clippers Preview
For the first time this season, the "Battle of LA" wages on as the Lakers take on the Clippers. Tonight's matchup will also be the first in the Intuit Dome. As the Clippers continue to try to step out of the Lakers' shadow, they enter tonight's game a half-game up on the Lakers in the Western Conference standings.
Entering last season, the Clippers had won six consecutive games. However, the Lakers flipped the tables and won the season series 3-1 last season. LeBron James played in three of those four games and averaged 31.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 7.3 assists. James is probable for tonight's game, but he is one of the few key players that we currently know is likely to play tonight.
For the Lakers, Anthony Davis missed Friday night's win over the Nets with a calf injury and he is questionable for tonight's game. Jaxson Hayes started in his place and had six points and nine rebounds in 33 minutes. However, he is also questionable with a shoulder injury.
For the Clippers, starters James Harden (illness), Norman Powell (back), and Ivica Zubac (back) are all questionable tonight. Kris Dunn, who had started much of the season in place of Kawhi Leonard, is also questionable with a knee injury.
Speaking of Leonard, it is a great sign for the Clippers that he is not on the injury report for tonight's game. He has played just four games this season, but he is coming off his first 20-point game of the season as he went 8-for-11 from the field and scored 23 points against Brooklyn on Wednesday.
With Leonard set to take the floor, he will battle against James once again. Leonard's teams have won 12 of the 20 regular season meetings between the future Hall-of-Famers, but James holds the edge statistically.
Leonard and James have scored both 25 points or more in four of the last five games they have played each against each other. While another duel between the two would be great to see, Leonard remains on minutes restriction.
Leonard is the only Clipper with player props available as of this writing. Depending on who plays tonight, there could be significant value on role players such as Amir Coffey. I may also be interested in an Under on Powell's points, who I would expect to regress as the third option behind Leonard and Harden.
For the Lakers, Austin Reaves will needed to step if Davis remains out. He did so on Friday as he scored 38 points on 13-for-23 from the field. Max Christie struggled with shot going 2-for-13 in that game, but with that volume, there could be value on him tonight as well if Davis out.
Lakers vs. Clippers Prediction
Given the undetermined status of so many key contributors in this game, I don't feel comfortable recommending a pick on the spread. What we do know about this game is James is expected to play and he is coming off a big game. He scored 29 points on 12-for-17 from the field, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out eight assists.
James has gone his scoring line (22.5) in six of his last 10 games while scoring 25 points in five of those games. He has also scored 25 points in six consecutive games against the Clippers. I would be not be surprised if James wanted to break in the Intuit Dome with a big performance as well.
Considering his success against the Clippers and that Davis may be out again, I will gladly take +140 odds for James to score 25 points tonight.
While the Clippers do not want to put too much on Leonard's plate just yet, he will be tasked to score in his minutes if Powell and Harden are out. If Leonard takes 11 field goal attempts or more again, he will have a good opportunity to score 17 points.
For my last leg, I like Austin Reaves to score 15 points, regardless of whether or not Davis plays. He has scored 15 in eight of his last 10 games. If you wait to bet this parlay, Reaves has scored 20 points in six of his last 10 games without Davis. So, keep an eye on that.
Best Bet: LeBron James Over 24.5 Points
Same Game Parlay Picks
- LeBron James Over 24.5 Points
- Kawhi Leonard Over 16.5 Points
- Austin Reaves Over 14.5 Points
Parlay Payout: +439
Clippers vs. Lakers Betting Trends
