Los Angeles Lakers will host the Los Angeles Clippers in the closing match of Friday’s NBA action. The hosts want to pick up where they left off last time and celebrate another victory. The away side wants to stay ahead of their division rivals and will search for a positive result.
It’s going to be the second straight home match for the Lakers, and they were pretty successful in the latest one. The home side fights for the 3rd spot in the division with their upcoming rivals and looks forward to another victorious performance. On the other hand, the Clippers were excellent last time, and they want to continue their scoring streak.
Los Angeles Lakers – Can they win at home again?
The Lakers booked a somewhat surprising win over the Utah Jazz last week. Although they were down most of the time during the match, an excellent final quarter propelled them to the victory. They eventually celebrated a 106-101 win, with LeBron James leading their way with 33 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. Thanks to that win, the Lakers improved to a 27-31 record but stayed fourth in the Pacific Division. Nevertheless, they are three wins behind their city rivals, having three games in hand.
LeBron James dominates the Lakers’ offense with 29.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.6 steals, and one block per game on average. Anthony Davis averages 23.1 pts, 9.7 rebs, and 2.3 blocks per contest, but he’s still out of selection. Russell Westbrook produces 18.3 points and 7.8 rebounds while topping the assists charts with 7.5 per match. However, the Lakers will face severe selection issues. With Davis still out, Carmelo Anthony and Avery Bradley are also unavailable, while LeBron James is listed as questionable.
Expected Line-Up: Russell Westbrook, Malik Monk, Talen Horton-Tucker, Stanley Johnson, Dwight Howard
with best odds
Los Angeles Clippers – Will they put another excellent scoring performance?
The Clippers are coming here from a powerful offensive display in a 142-111 win over the Houston Rockets last week. They had an excellent 55.4 field goal percentage while hitting more than half of their three-point shots. LA remained third in the Pacific Division with a 30-31 record, but they still need to hold their city rivals behind them. Marcus Morris Sr. was the most efficient player against the Rockets with 27 points, but Luke Kennard was on fire, hitting eight three-pointers from nine attempts. The Clippers also dominated the paint against Houston, recording 50 rebounds, as opposed to the rival’s 35.
Paul George has led the Clippers’ offense with 24.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and two steals, but he’s out of the contest. Norman Powell joined in the midseason trade and showed an immediate impact with 21 pts, four assists, and three rebs in three appearances. Reggie Jackson is LA’s best assistant with 4.5 per match while producing 16.6 points. Marcus Morris Sr. averages 16.2 pts, while Ivica Zubac controls the paint with eight rebounds and contributes with 9.7 pts. Besides Paul George, Norman Powell and Jason Preston should be unavailable for this match.
Expected Line-Up: Reggie Jackson, Terance Mann, Marcus Morris Sr., Nicolas Batum, Ivica Zubac
Expert Pick #1 – Los Angeles Clippers +2 @-110
Both teams go to this game after celebrating victories, but the Los Angeles Lakers will face selection troubles. LeBron James will unlikely make an appearance, which might give an advantage to the visitors. The Clippers covered the spread nine times in a row against the Lakers, and I’ll back them ATS as the first pick here.
Expert Pick #2 – Under 222 @-110
Since neither team will have its best scorers available, we might see a low-scoring game on Friday evening. On the other hand, their offensive efficiency hasn’t been very good this season, and I’ll go with the Under as my second bet.
Expert Pick #3 – Los Angeles Clippers Over 110.5 @-110
Nevertheless, the Clippers were very efficient in their latest match, and they could carry over the momentum here. I believe they will score at least 111 points against the division rival, and that’s going to be my third pick at the same odds as the first two.
