Lakers vs Clippers Picks and Predictions Dec 3
LA Lakers vs LA Clippers Betting Preview
WagerTalk NBA handicapper Andy Lang offers his Lakers vs Clippers betting preview for Friday, December 3. At the time of posting, the Lakers have risen to a 2-point favorite over their Staples Center roommates, with the total sitting at 218.5 points.
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Lakers vs Clippers Predictions
- LA Lakers -2 vs LA Clippers
- Total: 218.5 Points
- The Clippers have won 23 of the last 29 meetings in this series, and have covered the point spread in 11 of the last 15.
This game between the two Los Angeles teams has a bit of a dark cloud hanging over it as it’s apparent the expectations to begin the season were too high. The Lakers are 12-11, and the Clippers are 11-11…the Lakers have been without Lebron for parts of this early season, the Clippers are without Kawhi, and it’s no secret that the addition of Westbrook has not resulted in positive results for the Lakers. So is there any advantage in this game from a better perspective?
No surprise, the Lakers are better with LeBron in the lineup as they average 7 more points per game with him, and they are 7-4 with him in the lineup and 5-7 without him. The Clippers were one of my favorite UNDERS for season wins as I thought the lack of depth would hurt over the season, but it’s happening faster than I thought. They have lost seven out ten games, and the three wins are still not impressive (Detroit, San Antonio, and Dallas with no Doncic).
The one area the Clippers have been good in has been defense as they allow the 6th least amount of points to opposing teams where the Lakers allow the 4th most. The flip side is that the Lakers score the 5th most points in the league and the Clippers score the 9th least amount of points. Both teams are below .500 ATS, and the Clippers are 10-12 in Overs while the Lakers are 14-9 in the Overs.
There’s no way I can bet on the Clippers at this point. Their depth is lacking, there’s a big step down from Paul George to the Clippers #2 player.
We have some really good matchups at positions that could lead to some easy points. The Clippers and Lakers are both bottom 4 in point guard scoring defense. The Lakers are the second worst team defending power forwards, and the Clippers are bottom half in defending centers. That presents lots of scoring opportunities for Westbrook, PG, and Anthony Davis.
Davis has to stop with all the outside shooting as he’s shooting way too many jump shots inside and outside the arc and he’s bottom of the barrel in make percentage. Also, don’t underestimate the intensity of a LA-LA game, and with a spread being so low I don’t foresee a blowout. I see a sloppy, fun, high paced game with the superstars putting on a show.
The Lakers aren’t an elite team with Lebron, but they are a god team, and the Clippers are really struggling, and they haven’t had a great win all season. They beat Miami, but with no Jimmy Butler. They beat Portland twice, but Portland was on the road twice and they’re a completely different team on the road. The Clippers are 0-5 against the spread the last five games, and Lebron and company will make it 0-6 tonight.
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Lakers vs Clippers Analysis from The GoldSheet
This is the first meeting this season between the two, and neither is where they expected to be. Laker GM Rob Pelinka, LeBron James and HC Frank Vogel haven’t been able to make gin out of the rummy hand deal with the major roster overhaul as of yet. The Lake Show sits in the 6th seed at the moment but is just a half game ahead of the Clippers, Blazers and Timberwolves. The Clippers are dipping (2-6 SU, 1-7 vs. the number last 8), and essentially trying to tread water as star Kawhi Leonard continues to recover from his mid-July ACL surgery (think March if it even happens). LA might be down a star as well, as Anthony Davis is iffy with a thumb sprain, but LeBron James is available after clearing Covid protocols and Russell Westbrook appears to be familiarizing himself with his co-workers, contributing 26 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 8.2 apg and shooting 58% (and 38% on treys!) over the past 5 games.
Friday’s NBA Stat Sheet
Each day, WagerTalk handicapper Ralph Michaels puts together his NBA Stat Sheet, which offers a head-to-head comparison for how teams are performing in a number of key areas heading into a game. Click here to download Friday’s sheet, with notes on tonight’s Lakers vs Clippers contest.
NBA Tip-Off Show
Join Joe Raineri, Rob Veno, Tony Finn and Tony Mejia for the NBA Tip-Off Show at 4:15pm ET / 1:15pm PT as we discuss tonight’s marquee games. Stay up-to-date on the latest NBA news, stats, analysis, and predictions with our panel of professional handicappers as they preview tonight’s NBA action, including this Lakers vs Clippers clash, from a betting perspective.
WagerTalk Live Odds Screen
WagerTalk’s live odds screen features up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the NBA point spreads, moneylines, first half lines and betting percentages for all of Friday’s NBA games, including this Lakers vs Clippers showdown, from your desktop or phone.
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