LOS ANGELES LAKERS VS. LA CLIPPERS – ODDS & PREDICTIONS FOR JANUARY 23, 2024

Greetings, basketball fans. Welcome back to our NBA coverage here at Latest Basketball News. One of the games on tap from Tuesday’s slate features the Los Angeles Lakers (23-22 SU, 20-25 ATS) taking on the LA Clippers (27-14 SU, 22-19 ATS).

Here is a look at which team has the edge going into this matchup and why.

Tipoff

• When: Tuesday, January 23, 2024
  
• Time: 10:00 PM ET
  
• Where: Crypto.com Arena
  
• Location: Los Angeles, CA
  
• TV: TNT

Los Angeles Lakers vs. LA Clippers Odds (Via DraftKings)

Los Angeles Lakers vs. LA Clippers – Regular Season Stats & Betting Trends

Can The Lakers Notch Their Fourth Win In Five Games?

Los Angeles Lakers Season Stats:

• Scoring Offense: 114.8 PPG – 17TH       
• Offensive Efficiency: 113.4 points per 100 possessions – 21ST        
• Scoring Defense: 114.2 PPG – 13TH       
• Defensive Efficiency: 111.3 points per 100 possessions – 2ND   

The Lakers find themselves tied with the Utah Jazz for the No.9 spot in the conference playoff race and they have split their last 10 contests. This includes a 134-110 blowout win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

D’Angelo Russell scored a team-high 34 points to go along with eight assists and two blocked shots. 

The 34-point effort, combined with the proficiency of his long-ball shooting, was one of Russell’s most impactful performances this season.

“He’s really locked in on his game and focused on ways he can help the team,” Darvin Ham said after the game. “Tonight was one of the most complete games I’ve seen him play since he’s been back in a Laker uniform.”

LeBron James added 28 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Anthony Davis finished with 14 points, 14 rebounds, and three assists. 

The Lakers will need to play a near-perfect game to knock off a Clippers squad that has won 19 of its last 23 contests. 

Can The Clippers Extend Their Winning Streak To Three Games?

LA Clippers Season Stats:

• Scoring Offense: 117.8 PPG – 9TH   
• Offensive Efficiency: 120.5 points per 100 possessions – 5TH        
• Scoring Defense: 112.0 PPG – 10TH       
• Defensive Efficiency: 114.6 points per 100 possessions – 14TH    

Following a poor start, the Clippers are one of the top four teams in the Western Conference. They have produced eight wins across their last 10 outings, and they come into this matchup riding a two-game winning streak. 

In their most recent matchup, the Clippers defeated the Brooklyn Nets 125-114. James Harden led the team in scoring with 24 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. 

“They came out and punched us in the mouth and in that fourth quarter we played Clipper basketball, got some stops and the rest is history,” Harden said after the game.

Paul George added 21 points, four rebounds, and four assists. Kawhi Leonard contributed 12 points and seven rebounds. 

What makes this win so impressive is that the Nets led by as many as 18 points. However, LA outscored Brooklyn by a 41-15 margin in the final frame to cruise to a double-digit victory.

The team hopes that it will not take a herculean effort to beat a Lakers team that is on the verge of righting the ship. 

Now that we have set the table for this matchup, let us closely examine the all-important betting trends for both sides.

The Picks

The Spread

The Clippers opened at a 7.5-point favorite. At the time of this writing, the line has climbed to nine points for the home team. 

Here is a look at how both teams have fared against the spread this season. 

• The Lakers are 3-11 ATS in their last 14 games against the Clippers.
• Los Angeles is 4-2 in their last six matchups against Western Conference opponents.
• The Clippers are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games. 
• Los Angeles is 9-3 ATS in its last 12 games against Western Conference teams. 
• The Clippers are 4-1 ATS in their last five matchups against Pacific Division teams.

Based on these trends, going with the home team to cover the spread is the best option.

Prediction: LA Clippers (-9)

Over/Under

The projected over/under total for this matchup opened at 228 points. The line recently moved to 229.5 points (via pre-game.com). Here is why going with the “OVER” is the smart choice. 

• The total has gone OVER 13 times in the Lakers’ last 20 games.
• The OVER total has hit 12 times in LA’s last 13 road games.
• In the Clippers’ last six games, the OVER total won five times.
• The total has gone OVER four times in the Clippers’ last five January games.

Prediction: OVER 229.5 points

Player Prop Bets

The key player to watch for the road team is Antony Davis. He currently has -115 odds of scoring more than 27.5 points and -115 odds of finishing with less than 27.5 points (Via DraftKings). Here is a closer look at how his numbers compare to the projected points total for this matchup. 

• On the season, Davis is averaging 25.1 points per outing.
• In 18 road games, he is averaging 24.7 PPG.
• Davis has played against Western Conference teams 29 times this season. In those contests, he is averaging 23.9 points per outing.
• He has played against Pacific Division teams eight times this season. In those contests, he is averaging 22.0 PPG.
• Over his last 10 games, Davis is averaging 24.6 points per game, exceeding the points total for this matchup four times during that stretch.

Going with the “under” for Davis is the smart play based on the above trends.

Prediction: Anthony Davis UNDER 27.5 points

The player to watch for the home team is Kawhi Leonard. He currently has -120 odds of scoring more than 24.5 points and -110 odds of scoring less than 24.5 points. Let’s see how his numbers stack up against the projected points total for this matchup. 

• On the season, Leonard is averaging 23.7 points per outing. 
• In 18 home games, he is averaging 22.3 PPG.
• Leonard has played against Western Conference teams 29 times this season. In those contests, he is averaging 24.0 points per outing.
• Leonard has played against teams in the Pacific Division nine times this season. In those games, he has averaged 26.1 PPG.
• Over his last 10 outings, he is averaging 21.9 points per outing, exceeding the projected points total for this matchup just two times during that stretch. 

Given the above trends, going with the “under” for Leonard is the best option.

Prediction: Kawhi Leonard UNDER 27.5 points

James’s Los Angeles Lakers vs. LA Clippers Picks

• The Spread: LA Clippers (-9)
• Over/Under: Over 229.5 points
• Player Prop Bet #1: Anthony Davis Under 27.5 points.
• Player Prop Bet #2: Kawhi Leonard Under 24.5 points.