The Los Angeles Lakers (31-18 SU, 23-26 ATS) take on the rival Los Angeles Clippers (32-18 SU, 28-22 ATS) for the second time this season on Sunday afternoon. The teams have not played since the first game of the season which the Clippers won 116-109 back on December 22.
- Date/Time: April 4, 3:30 p.m. ET
- Stadium: Staples Center
- TV Coverage: ABC
- Sportsbook Odds: Clippers -10.5 | O/U 215.5 (Line History)
- Lakers vs Clippers Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
The game opened with the Clippers as favorites at 10.5 and the line can now be found at either 10.5 or 11 depending on the book. The total opened at 215.5 and the line has moved down to 215 across the board with even odds on the OVER and UNDER.
Lakers News & Notes
The Lakers have dropped down to fourth place in the Western Conference and are 6.5 games back of first-place Utah. For now, there is no reason to think they won’t continue to drop in the standings as the roster is in a state of flux.
LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Andre Drummond and Jared Dudley are all dealing with various injuries, with the first three, in particular, leaving major holes in the lineup. Including the game that LeBron was injured in, the Lakers have lost five of eight games without the future Hall of Famer.
Unsurprisingly, the team’s numbers have also faltered considerably without LeBron in the lineup. The Lakers are 16th in field goal percentage, 14th in assists and 26th in free throw percentage without both LeBron and Davis in the lineup. The team is also down to just 3.5 blocks per game which is tied for 25th in the league.
Clippers News & Notes
The Clippers have been one of the best teams in the league this season and sit in third in the west having gone 7-3 in their last ten games.
The underlying numbers are fantastic for the Clippers as well as the team ranks first in the league in three-point percentage, first in free-throw percentage and seventh in field goal percentage.
The team is led by a couple of superstars in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, who are averaging 25.9 and 22.5 points per game respectively, but the team did not add anything substantial at the trade deadline. The only addition was point guard Rajon Rondo who is averaging just 3.9 points per game and 3.5 assists.
The last times these teams played, Leonard and George had 26 and 33 points, respectively. Only one player (James with 22) had more than 20 points for the Lakers in that game.
Betting Pick: Clippers -10.5
Without their two best players, the Lakers are a shell of themselves. The Clippers are simply the much healthier, better team right now and the spread isn’t so large that we feel the need to bet on the Lakers keeping it too close.
Want more Expert Betting Picks?
Check out the best sports handicapping services on the market today!
Buy Sports Picks Now- The Lakers are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games.
- The UNDER is 4-1 in the last 5 games in this matchup.
- The Clippers are 8-4 SU in their last 12 games.
