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Washington Wizards vs. Los Angeles Lakers Predictions, Picks, Odds

Michael Crosson
Michael Crosson Sports Betting Expert
4 minute read

Nationally televised NBA action will conclude on Friday night with a compelling non-conference matchup between the Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Lakers. Coverage begins from Crypto.com Arena at 10:30 p.m. ET on NBA TV.

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Score Prediction

Lakers 117, Wizards 109

Best Bets

Lakers -4.5 (-110) at DraftKings

Wizards vs. Lakers Predictions

After finishing eighth in the East with a record of 34-38 SU last year, Washington briefly kept that same ball rolling with another strong start to this season, as the Wizards opened with a sturdy 10-3 SU and 9-4 ATS run– despite getting tagged as underdogs in seven of those affairs.

Washington’s marginal depth has been on full display since that opening stretch though, considering the Wizards enter Friday riding an abysmal 19-32 SU and 16-33-2 skid – which includes a 6-10 SU and 6-9-1 ATS mark since the season-ending injury to three-time All-Star Bradley Beal.

On the other hand, the Lakers stumbled out to a frustrating start to the season, as Los Angeles kicked things off with a lackluster 10-11 SU and 7-14 ATS stretch – which was primarily chalked up to growing pains associated with the offseason acquisition of Russell Westbrook.

The Lakers have maintained a similarly deficient pace since that point though, considering Los Angeles enters Friday riding a head-scratching 17-26 SU and 19-24 ATS skid – despite getting tagged as favorites in 25 of those matchups.

I’ll back L. A. here, as the Wizards are 6-10 SU and 6-9-1 ATS since Beal’s latest injury, while tallying just 108.8 OPPG and surrendering 113 DPPG during that timeframe – setting the stage for a tough road matchup against a Lakers squad that’s averaging 118.8 OPPG across their last four games.

Wizards vs. Lakers Betting Odds

More Odds | Futures Odds

Wizards vs. Lakers Betting Resources

  • Matchup: Southeast vs. Pacific
  • Date: Friday, March 11, 2022
  • Venue: Crypto.com Arena
  • Location: Los Angeles, CA
  • TV-Time: NBA TV - 10:30 p.m. ET
  • Injury Report

Washington Wizards Betting Analysis

  • SU: 29-35
  • ATS: 25-37-2
  • O/U: 34-29-1

After posting their best regular-season campaign in the last four years (34-48 SU), the Wizards were seemingly presented with an offer they couldn’t refuse this past offseason, as Washington dealt Westbrook and a pair of second-rounders in exchange for Montrezl Harrell, Kyle Kuzma, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope prior to the start of this season.

The trade worked exceptionally well to start, as the Wizards kicked things off with a sturdy 10-3 SU and 9-4 ATS run, but like other middle-ranking squads, Washington has been decimated by health issues throughout the year – resulting in an inevitable plummet to 11th place in the Eastern Conference standings with a record of 29-35 SU.

Los Angeles Lakers Betting Analysis

  • SU: 28-37
  • ATS: 27-37-1
  • O/U: 35-29-1

Regardless of the circumstances, sitting below .500 is an undeniable disappointment for this year’s Lakers squad, but to be fair, they’ve stumbled across several injury hurdles, so it’s tough to write them off completely, highlighted by LeBron James missing 18 games this season (18) – while Anthony Davis has missed 28, and is slated to miss at least another week.

The Lakers still have time to flip the script and push for higher seeding; they just need to get AD healthy, and ultimately, shoot the ball better, considering L. A. ranks 24th in offensive efficiency and 13th in scoring (1.058 OE, 110.9 OPPG) – which doesn’t bode well for a squad that also ranks 17th in defensive efficiency (1.080 DE).

The Lakers are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games. (AP)

Wizards vs. Lakers Head-to-Head

The Wizards swept a two-game regular-season set against the Lakers last year, with the first matchup soaring over the total at a score of 127-124 (O 228.5) – while the second stayed under with a score of 116-107 (U 230).

Key Players to Watch

  • WAS: Kyle Kuzma - PF (17.2 PPG, 8.7 REB, 3.4 AST)
  • WAS: Spencer Dinwiddie - PG (13.5 PPG, 4.3 REB, 5.5 AST)
  • LAL: LeBron James - SF (29.3 PPG, 8.2 REB, 6.3 AST)
  • LAL: Malik Monk - SG (12.9 PPG, 3.4 REB, 2.6 AST)

Wizards vs. Lakers Betting Conclusion

After posting back-to-back road losses in San Antonio and Houston, the Lakers return home for Friday’s contest as short favorites over the Wizards at Crypto.com Arena – marking the seventh time Washington has been an underdog across their last ten games.

I’ll back the Lakers here, as despite L. A. riding a miserable 3-9 SU skid, the Lakers still averaged 111.7 OPPG across their latest 12-game stretch – likely presenting a difficult road task for a Wizards squad that’s scored 110 PTS or less in ten of their last 16 contests (108.8 OPPG).

Wizards vs. Lakers Betting Trends

  • The total has gone OVER in six of the last seven Wizards' games.
  • The Lakers are 2-4 ATS in their last six matchups against Washington.
  • The Wizards are 6-14 SU in their last 20 games.
  • The Lakers are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games.
  • The total has gone UNDER in five of the last seven matchups between the Lakers and Wizards.

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Michael Crosson

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
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