Los Angeles Lakers vs. Los Angeles Clippers Predictions, Picks, Odds

Michael Crosson Sports Betting Expert

5 minute read

Nationally televised NBA coverage will conclude on Thursday night with a crosstown rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers. Coverage begins from Staples Center at 10:00 p.m. ET on TNT.

SCORE PREDICTION

Lakers 114, Clippers 107

BEST BETS

Lakers +2.5 (-110) at BetMGM

LOS ANGELES LAKERS VS. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS PREDICTIONS

After finishing seventh in the West with a record of 42-30 SU last year, the Lakers kept that same ball rolling with another pedestrian start to this season, as Frank Vogel’s squad opened with a lackluster 10-11 SU and 7-14 ATS skid – which was primarily chalked up to growing pains due to the groundbreaking acquisition of Russell Westbrook.

The Lakers maintained a similarly deficient pace through January though, as L. A. sits just 14-16 SU and 14-16 ATS across their last 30 games – yet, typically still receive the oddsmakers’ vote of confidence, considering they were favored in 20 of those affairs.

On the other hand, the Clippers stormed out to a strong start in the absence of their All-Pro SF Kawhi Leonard, considering L. A. kicked things off with a sturdy 17-15 SU run – with ten of those victories coming by double-digits.

The Clippers have struggled at both ends of the floor since Paul George’s latest injury though, considering the Clippers are just 9-12 SU in their last 21 games – while averaging just 107 PPG offensively and surrendering 109 PPG defensively across that span.

I’ll back the Lakers here, as despite heading into Thursday riding a frustrating 7-8 SU skid, the Lakers are still averaging 113 PPG offensively across their latest 15-game stretch – likely presenting a steep uphill battle for a Clippers squad that’s scored 106 PTS or less in eight of their last 16 events (107.5 PPG).

LOS ANGELES LAKERS VS. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS BETTING ODDS

More Odds | Futures Odds

LOS ANGELES LAKERS VS. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS BETTING RESOURCES

• Matchup: Pacific
• Date: Thursday, February 3, 2022
• Venue: Crypto.com Arena
• Location: Los Angeles, California
• TV-Time: TNT - 10:00 p.m. ET
• Injury Report

LOS ANGELES LAKERS BETTING ANALYSIS

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

• SU: 24-27
• ATS: 21-30
• O/U: 28-22-1

Regardless of the circumstances, hovering below .500 is a disappointment for this new-look Lakers’ squad, but to be fair, they’ve been banged up from the start, so it’s tough to write them off completely, considering LeBron James and Anthony Davis have both missed roughly 20 games apiece.

Despite their shortcomings, the Lakers rank ninth in the West with a record of 24-27 SU, positioning them in the middle of a tight cluster with the Nuggets (28-22), Timberwolves (26-25), and Clippers (26-27). There’s still plenty of time for the Lakers to turn things around and push for higher seeding; they just need to get healthy first, and ultimately, shoot the ball better, considering L. A. ranks 23rd in offensive efficiency and 11th in scoring (1.056 OE, 111 PPG) – which are crippling marks for a squad that also ranks 16th in defensive efficiency (1.071 DE).

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS BETTING ANALYSIS

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

• SU: 26-27
• ATS: 26-27
• O/U: 24-28-1

Most bettors lost faith in the Clippers following Kawhi’s devastating knee injury last postseason – but it turns out, the L. A. is still a decent team without him, considering they efficiently handled business against Utah for the remainder of their second-round series, and then went toe-to-toe with Phoenix for the length of a competitive six-game conference final set.

The same cannot be said when George is also removed from the equation though, considering the Clippers are just 9-12 SU and 12-9 ATS since PG’s latest injury, while scoring 106 PTS or less in 11 of those matchups (107 PPG) – and surrendering 106+ PTS in 14 of them (109 PPG).

LOS ANGELES LAKERS VS. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS HEAD-TO-HEAD

The Clippers swept a three-game regular-season set against the Lakers last year, with the first matchup going over the total at a score of 116-109 – while the ensuing two events stayed under at an average of 201 PPG. The most recent matchup between these teams took place back in December of this season though, which resulted in another relatively high-scoring victory for the Clippers (119-115).

KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH

• LAL: LeBron James - SF (29.1 PPG, 7.7 REB, 6.3 AST)
• LAL: Russell Westbrook - PG (18.9 PPG, 7.8 REB, 7.7 AST)
• LAC: Reggie Jackson - PG (16.5 PPG, 3.3 REB, 4 AST)
• LAC: Marcus Morris - SF (15.3 PPG, 5.1 REB, 2.2 AST)

LOS ANGELES LAKERS VS. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS BETTING CONCLUSION

After falling to the Pacers on Monday night (L, 122-116), the Clippers enter Thursday’s matchup as narrow underdogs against the Lakers at Staples Center – marking the eighth time the Clippers have been tagged as underdogs across the last nine games.

I’ll back the Lakers here, as the Clippers are just 9-12 SU since PG’s latest injury, while averaging just 107 PPG offensively across that timeframe – setting the stage for a tough rivalry matchup against a Lakers squad that’s scored 114+ PTS in eight of their last 14 games (113 PPG).

LOS ANGELES LAKERS VS. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS BETTING TRENDS

• The Lakers are 2-6 SU in their last six matchups against the Clippers.
• The Clippers are 4-1 ATS in their last five games.
• The total has gone UNDER in six of the last eight matchups between the Clippers and Lakers.
• The total has gone OVER in six of the last nine Clippers' games.

Michael Crosson

Michael Crosson began his time at VegasInsider as a freelance NBA writer back in 2019 while he continued to study Psychology and Biology at James Madison University. Following his graduation in 2021, Michael joined the team full-time, and he's been with VI ever since. Michael still writes NBA, NFL, and MLB for VI, as well as gambling industry news. He's also become a crucial part of our editorial production team. More from Michael Crosson