The Los Angeles Lakers have hit the breaking point of their season and tonight’s tilt with the rival L.A. Clippers could very much define where the Lakers go from here.
The Purple and Gold drag a three-game losing skid into this “road” game and have only one win to show for in their past seven outings. One of those losses came at the hands of the Clippers, who ride a four-game streak into Thursday, but in a scheduling quirk have collected three of those victories over hapless Houston.
Check out our free NBA picks and predictions for Lakers at Clippers on March 3.
Lakers vs Clippers odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
The Clippers opened as -1.5 favorites and have been bet up to -2.5 with an early play on the “home” team. The total opened as low as 217 points but has since spiked to 221 as of Thursday afternoon.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until tip-off and be sure to check out the full NBA odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Lakers vs Clippers predictions
- Prediction: Clippers -2 (-110)
- Prediction: Under 221 (-110)
- Best bet: Westbrook Under 6.5 assists (-140)
Predictions made on 3/3/2022 at 4:00 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Lakers vs Clippers game info
• Location: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California
• Date: Thursday, March 3, 2022
• Tip-off: 10:00 p.m. ET
• TV: TNT
Lakers vs Clippers betting preview
Key injuries
Lakers: LeBron James F (Questionable), Avery Bradley G (Questionable), Talen Horton-Tucker F (Questionable), Anthony Davis F (Out), Kendrick Nunn G (Out).
Clippers: Paul George G (Out), Kawhi Leonard F (Out), Norman Powell G (Out), Jason Preston G (Out).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Clippers are 6-1 ATS in their last seven matchups with the Lakers. Find more NBA betting trends for Lakers vs. Clippers.
Lakers vs Clippers picks and predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Spread analysis
The Clippers continue to be competitive despite missing the star power of Paul George and Kawhi Leonard this season, and that pair is probably a no-show for the remainder of the year. They’ve won six of their last seven outings but three of those wins came versus the Rockets, including back-to-back road victories at Houston.
While the validity of the Clippers’ current hot streak is in question, the defensive prowess of this team is not. Los Angeles has been among the stingiest teams in the league all season and has tightened up even more on that end of the floor, boasting an advanced defensive rating of 103 over those past seven games (tops in the league during that span).
The Clips locked down the Lakers in a 105-102 win on February 25, checking their L.A. counterparts to 42% shooting. A big part of that defensive effort actually derived on the offensive end, with the Clippers making 41 of 83 field goal attempts and scoring 50 points in the paint. That forced the Lakers to inbound the ball on plenty of possessions and took away their dangerous transition attack.
The Clippers rank out as one of the top defenses versus transition teams, limiting those run-and-gun foes to only 1.07 points per play and a scoring frequency of just 48.8% - both metrics ranked fifth-lowest in the league.
As Lakers great and TNT analyst Shaquille O’Neal noted, the Clippers have owned the Lakers in recent history. The “other” Los Angeles team is 10-4 SU and ATS in its 14 matchups with its Crypto.com Arena roommate since LeBron James made the move to the Lakers in 2018-19.
Baring a superhuman effort from LeBron (who is questionable with a sore knee, but more than likely playing), the Clippers will continue to own bragging rights in La-La Land tonight.
Prediction: Clippers -2 (-110)
Over/Under analysis
The Lakers have struggled in the halfcourt set without star forward Anthony Davis anchoring the offense. Los Angeles has looked lost when forced to slow down during this current three-game slide, averaging a dismal 18.3 assists per contest and shooting just over 29% from beyond the 3-point arc. If the Lakers can’t score in transition – they can’t score at all.
New additions in the backcourt of D.J. Augustine and Wenyen Gabriel as well as the potential return of Avery Bradley may bolster the depth at guard, but it could also just add to the chemistry issues that have plagued L.A. all season. Turnovers are a thorn in the Lakers’ side, averaging 14.7 per game on the year.
Defensively, the Lakers have been sound – even with Davis no longer plugging up the paint and changing shots. They don’t face the toughest test in the Clippers offense which touts an offensive rating of 108.4 on their own floor and puts up just over 108 points per homestand.
The Lakers won’t go quietly into the night with Thursday’s rivalry game feeling very much like a must-win, so expect some pushback from LeBron & Co. when it comes to defending their end of the floor. These L.A. teams put up a collective 207 points in their Feb. 25 matchup, staying well below the 221-point total.
Books went low on the opening number for this latest installment of “The Battle for Los Angeles” and early money moved it up from 217 to 221 points. But I don’t agree with that opinion. These foes have combined for 221 points or more only twice in their last 10 head-to-head games.
Prediction: Under 221 (-110)
Best bet
Russell Westbrook’s short time in Los Angeles has been a rough one and it appears that it will also be a short stint too, with reports that the team is looking to trade the point guard this offseason.
According to Bleacher Report, the Lakers and Westbrook have, "mutual interest in finding Westbrook a new home this summer.”
As for now, Westbrook’s place in this offense is as unsettled as ever. He posted eight assists in the loss to Dallas but has averaged only 5.1 assists in the eight games prior, including solo assist showings against the Clippers and Pelicans.
The Clips limit foes to an assists per field made rate of 0.589 on the year and have allowed just 21.7 assists per contest over their last three, which includes locking down the Lakers for only 18 helpers in the meeting last week.
Russ has been more aggressive as a scorer the past three games, seeing an uptick in field goal attempts (17.7 FGA), compared to his efforts in the previous seven outings (13.1 FGA). On top of that, Lakers coach Frank Vogel may want to kick the tires on the new additions to the backcourt and get Bradley some run if he’s healthy enough to go.
Westbrook’s assist total for Thursday is an optimistic 6.5 at sportsbooks with the Under juiced to -140, which we’re willing to lay considering his trajectory and current competition.
Pick: Russell Westbrook Under 6.5 assists (-140)
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