The Los Angeles Lakers will be without LeBron James on Tuesday as they take on Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers, and we have searched through the NBA odds to find the best bet for this matchup.
The battle of Los Angeles is always appointment television, but the Lakers will have to lean more heavily on some of their other players if they are going to defeat the Clippers on Tuesday. LeBron James is out with an ankle injury, and the Clippers are trading as 9-point favorites.
D'Angelo Russell has been on a tear of late, averaging 27.2 points per game and 6.4 assists per game over his last five games. While Russell has been on a heater of late, he still appears to be on the trade block for the Lakers, and our best bet is focusing on the point guard whom the Lakers ousted last season.
Find out more in my free NBA picks for Lakers vs. Clippers on January 23.
Lakers vs Clippers odds
Lakers vs Clippers predictions
Is LeBron James ducking the Russell Westbrook revenge game? I'm just kidding, but at the same time, not really.
I don't think it's a secret that Westbrook has every game against the Lakers circled on his calendar and will be amped up for this matchup. Aside from the obvious revenge angle, there are some other things at play on Tuesday, which has me smashing the button on the Over for Westbrook's assists prop.
The Los Angeles Lakers have been adjusting their starting lineup throughout the entire season. Most recently, we have seen De'Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves back in the starting lineup, and while the offense might be improved because of it, there are consequences on the defensive end for starting this lineup.
Russell and Reaves are both below-average defenders, and in the case of Reaves, one of the worst in the NBA when it comes to the defensive EPM metric. This means the Lakers are constantly helping with their matchups, which sets up perfectly for an Over bet on Westbrook's assists prop.
Westbrook should be able to constantly explode past Russell and Reaves on the perimeter, leading to help defense coming his way and opening up plenty of assist opportunities. There's also the bonus of James not playing and the Los Angeles Clippers trading as a 9-point favorite.
If this game starts to get away from the Lakers, you could see the Clippers lean on Westbrook to run the offense while stealing some rest for some of their other star players. The Clippers have also increased Westbrook's minutes over the last three games without Ivica Zubac.
Westbrook is projected to have 5.2 assists on Tuesday against the Lakers, which allows us to price the Over 4.5 assists at -143, but it is available at bet365 at -120.
My best bet: Russell Westbrook Over 4.5 assists (-120 at bet365)
Lakers vs Clippers same-game parlay
Russell Westbrook Over 4.5 assists
Mason Plumlee Over 7.5 points
Anthony Davis Under 4.5 assists
Taking the Over on Mason Plumlee's points prop might sound like one of the craziest bets you've ever seen, especially against Anthony Davis, but it directly correlates to our best bet of Westbrook going Over his assists prop. When Westbrook breaks down the Lakers' defense and Davis is forced to help, Westbrook will be dumping it off to Plumlee for a dunk or a layup at the rim.
Davis going Under on his assists prop doesn't correlate to our best bet in any fashion, but it is a bet that I like even as a straight bet. The sportsbooks elevated Davis' total from 3.5 to 4.5 when the James injury news broke, and I think there is an argument to be made for playing the Under. In a matchup against the Clippers, James being out has a bigger impact on the assists totals of Reaves and Russell and not Davis.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Lakers vs Clippers spread and Over/Under analysis
FanDuel opened the Clippers as a 6.5-point favorite over the Lakers on Tuesday, and with James officially ruled out for the game, we have seen this line move to Clippers -9.5. Make sure to shop around if you're betting on the spread, as there are plenty of Clippers -9 out there as well.
At DraftKings, the total opened at 232, and we have seen it climb to 234. This total didn't move directly to 234 from 232; in fact, we saw it dip down to 229 after opening and the announcement that James would miss the game. However, it has continued to steam towards the Over since then.
Lakers vs Clippers betting trend to know
The Clippers have hit the 3Q game total Over in 48 of their last 74 games (+19.05 Units / 23% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Lakers vs. Clippers.
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Lakers vs Clippers game info
| Location: | Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA |
| Date: | Tuesday, January 23, 2024 |
| Tip-off: | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | TNT |
Lakers vs Clippers latest injuries
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