Los Angeles Lakers vs Los Angeles Clippers Predictions, Picks & Odds 7/30/20
The NBA is back! The 2019-20 season restarts with a good California rivalry game with the Los Angeles Lakers vs Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Lakers enter the game leading the Western Conference with an overall record of 49-14. Their last game before the season was paused due to the COVID19 pandemic saw them lose narrowly to the Brooklyn Nets. They will be looking to restart on a win.
However, that won’t be easy as the Los Angeles Clippers are a great team. They enter the game ranked second in the Western Conference with an overall win-loss record of 44-20. Although they won their last match before the league was paused, they had lost the game before that to the Lakers. So, who will take it in this exciting matchup?
Los Angeles Lakers vs Los Angeles Clippers Predictions
Well, let’s have a look at some stats before we start spitting out predictions:
Lakers
- The Los Angeles Lakers have a strong overall squad. LeBron James has been showing that age is not a factor after having a season that may net him his fifth season MVP title. He is usually backed up All-Star Anthony Davis, but Davis may, unfortunately, miss this one with an eye injury as will Rajon Rondo and Avery Bradley.
- The Lakers may enter this game on a loss, but their record in the last 10 is 9-1.
- In their last five games against a team with a winning record, the Lakers have gone 4-1 against the spread.
- The last time the Lakers played the Clippers, they won with a relatively decisive scoreline (113-102). So, the Lakers may just be outside out of the Clippers league this year. (But the fact remains, there is a lot of talent in Los Angeles.)
Clippers
- The Los Angeles Clippers have had a great 2019-20 season. Kawhi Leonard has really proven his worth and looks to be aiming to win a third NBA Championship with a third team. Small forward Paul George has also proven to be instrumental in the team’s success.
- The Clippers enter the game off a win, but their record in the last 10 is 7-3.
- The team has some conflicting stats regarding their performances. As road underdog, they have gone 3-7 in their last 10 against the spread. However, in their previous 30 games played after three or more days rest, they have gone 21-8-1 against the spread.
- The Clippers are a good team, but this doesn’t mean that they aren’t susceptible to losses. In their last 10, they lost against the Boston Celtics, Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Lakers. The pattern that is apparent here is that the team struggles against sides with better line-ups.
Our Prediction
This is not an easy game to predict. After all, both the Clippers and the Lakers have had strong seasons. Also, the league is restarting and has been seen in other sports, the momentum of great team could have been turned to dust by the break.
However, we think that we are going to have to take the favorites in this one and that is the Lakers. The moneyline isn’t great, but it’s not too bad. That said, we think that the spread may be a better option, but some bettors may find the -4.5 line a bit too wide for their liking.
