Clippers vs Lakers Picks & Odds: Clippers Have Dominated Their In-Town Rivals

The Los Angeles Clippers (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS) are 7-0 SU and 6-1 ATS in their last seven games against the Los Angeles Lakers (0-1, 0-1). The Clippers will try to open their season with another win over the Lakers as a Clippers vs Lakers prediction favorite in Los Angeles on Thursday night.

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Clippers vs Lakers Sportsbook Odds 

The Clippers opened as 2.5-point favorites in this rivalry game before heavy action on them drove the Clippers vs Lakers odds up three full points to make the Clippers a 5.5-point favorite. The total in this matchup has also seen significant movement up to 225.5 points. The OVER is 10-4 in the Lakers’ last 14 games.

Get the best Clippers vs Lakers odds and lines available from our recommended sportsbooks for your favorite picks of the night.

The Clippers Have High Hopes For 2022-23 With A Healthy Squad

The Clippers became an immediate NBA championship contender when they acquired both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George ahead of the 2019-20 season. But when Kawhi Leonard tore his ACL during the team’s 2020-21 postseason run, Los Angeles was left without its star player for that run and the entire 2021-22 season. Paul George was also limited to only 31 games last season due to injury.

Now Leonard and George are both healthy, and they’ve got a solid supporting cast around them. The Clippers finished last season with a 42-40 SU record despite being without their two superstars for most of the year, and now that they are back, Los Angeles is among the top five favorites to win the championship in 2022-23.

Lakers Hoping To Avoid An 0-2 Start To The Season

The Lakers got a tough draw in their Sportsbook game, taking on the defending champion Golden State Warriors on the road. Los Angeles closed as a 7.5-point underdog and failed to cover the spread with a 123-109 loss. LeBron James led the way with 31 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Warriors.

Russell Westbrook went 7-for-12 from the floor and recorded 19 points and 11 rebounds in the loss. Los Angeles’ big three of James, Westbrook and Anthony Davis didn’t work out last season in part due to Davis being limited to only 40 games played with injury issues. The Lakers missed the playoffs entirely last season with a dismal 33-49 SU record.

Clippers Player Prop: Reggie Jackson OVER 13.5 points (-110)

Reggie Jackson took over as the Clippers’ top scorer with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George both out last season, averaging 16.8 points per game. Jackson’s production will dip with Leonard and George back in the lineup, but expect him to still be a big part of the offense, making 14 or more points a very realistic target.

Lakers Player Prop: LeBron James OVER 5.5 assists (-182)

LeBron James recorded eight assists on Tuesday night against Golden State and has averaged 8.2 assists per game in his 224 games with the Lakers. With both Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook healthy, James will have plenty of opportunities for assists on Thursday night.

Clippers: Keys to Win

The Clippers have the better team on paper in this matchup and should have a chip on their shoulder coming into this season. As long as there isn’t too much rust on the team’s two star players, Los Angeles playing anything close to its best should be enough to take care of business as a Clippers vs Lakers prediction.

Lakers: Keys to Win

Despite their struggles last season, the Lakers still have an extremely talented core in LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook that could be a formidable trio if it is able to jell. James will almost certainly play at a high level on Thursday, so it may be up to Davis and Westbrook to step up to help guide Los Angeles to a win as a Clippers vs Lakers pick at home.

NBA Computer Pick: Clippers -5.5 

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