A fierce crosstown rivalry will be rekindled when the Los Angeles Lakers (22-25 SU, 22-23-2 ATS) take on the Los Angeles Clippers (25-24, 23-26) in Tuesday NBA action. The Clippers will be the “road” team when they hit the court at Crypto.com Arena gunning for a third straight win after tallying victories in San Antonio and Dallas over the weekend.
The Lakers are also aiming to extend their win streak to three games after rolling to a 121-112 victory in Portland on Sunday. The Lakers have enjoyed a steady return after a dismal start to the season, winning nine of their past 14 contests, but face a massive challenge to snap a nine-game losing streak against the Clippers.
Latest Betting Notes: Clippers
The Clippers benefited from another big performance from Kawhi Leonard in Sunday’s 112-98 win in Dallas. The “Fun Guy” tallied team highs with 30 points and nine rebounds and has now averaged a steady 30 points per game over his past six outings.
Leonard’s run marks somewhat of a turnaround after he battled inconsistency following a delayed start to the season. He has racked up 28.6 points per game in his past five home appearances after failing to reach 20 points in six of his previous eight.
LA’s solid defensive play on Sunday is also a welcome development after the club surrendered an average of 117.3 points per game while going just 3-9 SU over its previous 12 outings.
Latest Betting Notes: Lakers
The Lakers return home on a high after an epic comeback Sunday night against the Trail Blazers. Trailing by 25 points at the half, the Lakers rebounded with 40 points in the third quarter. LeBron James sparked the surge with a game-high 37 points and added 11 boards for his sixth double-double in 10 appearances. Looking to have put his recent injury woes behind him, James has also averaged 34.5 points over his past four home dates.
However, the Lakers have managed to tally consecutive SU wins just twice over their past 13 home dates and have been lit up for 119.2 points per game over their past six. The team made headlines Monday by acquiring Rui Hachimura in a trade with Washington, but the versatile power forward is not expected to make his Lakers debut on Tuesday.
Clippers Player Prop: Ivica Zubac Total Points and Rebounds
Big man Ivica Zubac has emerged as a workhorse for the Clippers, playing 30 or more minutes in three of his past five outings, and has thrived with added responsibility. Zubac has also recorded double-doubles in two of his past three outings, and after racking up at least 20 combined points and rebounds in three of his past four games, the 25-year-old is pegged as a well-deserved -130 wager to tally OVER 20.5 total points and boards in Tuesday’s contest.
Lakers Player Prop: LeBron James Points, Rebounds and Assists
LeBron James is officially listed as questionable for Tuesday’s game with ankle soreness. However, his continued battle against nagging injuries has not dampened his performance on the court. Named the Western Conference Player of the Week after averaging 35 points, 9.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists and shooting 51 percent from the field to lead L.A. to wins in three of four outings, King James offers intriguing upside as a -118 bet to rack up OVER 47.5 combined points, rebounds and assists.
