Los Angeles Clippers vs Los Angeles Lakers Prediction, Odds 23/01/24
Calendar icon Updated 23 Jan 08:51

Los Angeles Clippers vs Los Angeles Lakers Prediction, Odds 23/01/24

Kaleb Vanderhorst

Los Angeles Clippers vs Los Angeles Lakers. Shape of the Teams

The Los Angeles Clippers face off against their weaker counterpart, the Los Angeles Lakers, in the Crypto.com arena. Unfortunately for Lakers fans, it doesn’t seem like anyone in the league really has any answers for the current Clippers roster.

With Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and James Harden all playing at a high level, the team has one of the last true “big threes.” George currently looks like the primary option on offence, while James Harden plays as a floor commander. 

The Lakers, on the other hand, have been up and down throughout January, dropping games against some mediocre teams like the 10th-seeded Utah Jazz. And what makes this even worse is that LeBron James is definitely out for the game due to an ankle injury.

That leaves the entire offence on Anthony Davis’s shoulders, who really hasn’t been having any miracle nights this year. He has been silently dominant, but it’s unlikely he’ll be able to carry the Lakers against a team like the Clippers.

Odds via Tonybet

Los Angeles Clippers vs Los Angeles LakersJanuary 23, 6:30 p.m ET
Clippers odds-345
Lakers odds+320
Clippers spread -9.5 -104
Lakers spread -9.5 -122

The Clippers are simply a better team from top to bottom and should be able to dominate on both sides of the floor. And while Davis will be able to lock down the paint, especially with Ivica Zubac sitting out with an injury, the expert shooting brought by Kawhi, George, and Harden is going to be more than just a pain.

It also doesn’t help that D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves both have poor defence and high turnover rates. The Klaw and George are going to have a field day, picking up the Laker’s pockets and clogging up passing lanes.

While this is going on, expect Harden to dish out a ton of dimes, ripping apart the Laker’s defence in the half-court.

We wish we could give the Lakers more credit coming into this one, but we have to agree with the bookmakers and give the Clippers a large advantage. There’s a good chance they come out the gate strong and hold a lead throughout all four quarters.

Los Angeles Clippers vs Los Angeles Lakers Odds, Prediction

We’re half expecting a brutal one-sided beatdown for a Lakers team missing LeBron. The Clippers simply have too much star power, and Harden finally seems to have found a team he clicks with. 

Three clutch players with the ability to drop 50 points without batting an eye are deadly, no matter which way you look at it. And even better, Kawhi and George both pride themselves on their defence, with great defensive ratings of 112.8 and 113.8, respectively. They simply outscore teams while holding them to under their averages.

Again, on the Lakers’ side, LeBron is out for the match, leaving it all on Anthony Davis’ shoulders. That means there is a pretty good chance he has a great personal night, especially with the Clippers weak inside, but it’s unlikely he’ll be able to outscore Kawhi and Leonard together.

Nonetheless, Davis will likely have a couple of posters and plain, nasty post moves down low before taking his L. As we said, it’s really unlikely he gets any real help with the Clippers locking down the perimeter. Russell and Reeves simply can’t create their own offence at a high level.

On the perimeter, the Lakers are simply beat – they’re outclassed on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Without LeBron to bail out the backcourt, they might get clamped down on before making it over half-court.

Unless Davis goes on an absolute rampage and carries the team, there’s a good chance the Clippers will get an early lead and never let go of it. They may even run up the score well past 9.5 points, as in three of their last five outings, they won by a margin of 9 points or more.

We would like to say it’ll be a good match, especially for the fans in LA, but unfortunately for Lakers fans, it seems like it might finally be the Clippers year.

Los Angeles Clippers vs Los Angeles Lakers Player Pick and Betting Tip

Paul George has been having a great streak of games over the last several weeks, save for the game against Brooklyn. He averages a solid 26.4 points on great efficiency. Earlier in the month, he even scored 37 points on 70% from beyond the arch, sinking seven shots from deep.

It also doesn’t hurt that George is going to be guarded by D’Angelo Russell for most of the game, and let’s just say he isn’t known for his on-ball defence.

He averages an abysmal 2 turnovers per game with a defensive rating of 117.2. And even if Russell shades George into Anthony Davis every possession, he has a sweet mid-range shot and decent floater to avoid the big man down low.

He’ll also likely have a fire under his butt after his underwhelming performance against Brooklyn last game, where his numbers were down across the board.

While nothing’s set in stone, there is a more than decent chance Paul George drops at least 24.5 points, if not more than 30. Everything just seems to line up nicely for him to have a stellar game.

Disclaimer: Odds are accurate at the time of posting and subject to change. Please verify the latest odds on our platform before betting.

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