Life in Tinseltown is not so great for Los Angeles’ marquee franchise. Every Lakers loss leads to more finger-pointing and at this point, it is hard to think of any reason to have faith in Los Angeles.
Can the Wizards hand the Lakers a third straight loss? With Kristaps Porzingis playing well, quite possibly.
Here are our free NBA picks and predictions for the Wizards at the Lakers on March 11, with tip set for 10:30 ET.
Wizards vs Lakers odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
The Lakers showed up on the board as 4.5-point favorites Thursday evening, and that number never wavered aside from a few stretches at -4.0. The total moved a bit more, opening Thursday at 228.0 before climbing as high as 231.5 early Friday morning. It then fell right back to 228.5 by midafternoon.
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.
Wizards vs Lakers predictions
Predictions made on 3/11/2022 at 5:00 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
If you're signing up for a new sportsbook for the 2021-22 NBA season, here are two of the best bonuses available:
USA: New user big boost: Bet $1 on any NBA moneyline at DraftKings and get $150 in free bets if your team wins! Sign Up Now
Canada: Get a 110%-matched sign-up bonus (up to $400) at BetVictor. Claim Now
Wizards vs Lakers game info
• Location: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
• Date: Friday, March 11, 2022
• Tip-off: 10:30 p.m. ET
• TV: Sportsnet, NBATV
Wizards vs Lakers betting preview
Key injuries
Wizards: Bradley Beal SG (out), Vernon Carey PF (Questionable).
Lakers: Malik Monk SG (Probable)., LeBron James SF (Questionable), Talen Horton-Tucker SF (Questionable), Anthony Davis PF (Out), Kendrick Nunn PG (Out).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Lakers have lost nine of their last 11 games and gone just 3-7-1 ATS in that stretch. Find more NBA betting trends for Wizards vs. Lakers.
Wizards vs Lakers 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 instinct is to look at that above betting trend and excuse the Lakers. Say something like, “Well, they have been playing the West, and the top of the West has been rounding into form.”
And yes, that’s true, but then you notice Los Angeles’ last two losses came to the Spurs and the Rockets. There is no excusing losing to the Rockets, even in overtime. Of course, the Lakers did not cover in either game. The Wizards deserve little faith, but they deserve more than this ongoing Los Angeles spiral inspires.
Washington has actually hung around the fringes of the Eastern play-in race, unlikely to make it but just needing a bad week from either Charlotte or Atlanta to do so. With Kristaps Porzingis now in the lineup, the Wizards just might take advantage of such a slip-up. Porzingis has played in two games for Washington, going 1-1 both straight-up and ATS, but playing competitively in that loss to the Clippers.
One wonders what the Lakers will do to defend the Latvian skyscraper, particularly without Anthony Davis. He has shot 57.7 percent from the field and 55.6 from three in these two games, a small sample size to be sure, and another efficient performance from him could propel the Wizards toward furthering Los Angeles’ misery.
Prediction: Wizards +4.5 (-110)
Over/Under analysis
The Wizards have hit the Over in four straight and six of their last seven. If the Friday morning spike had held, perhaps those few points would be enough to scare off this, but the return to 228.5 sets up for a decent number. Especially when realizing Washington has the No. 26 defensive rating since Feb. 1, and the Lakers are merely league average at No. 16.
Narrowing any measure from since the All-Star break goes badly for the Lakers, unsurprisingly. They rank No. 27 in offensive rating across those seven games, as well.
The Wizards and Porzingis should provide enough offense to propel this toward the Over, a cause helped by both teams' defensive ineptitude.
Prediction: Over 228.5 (-110)
Best bet
It's Friday night. If we are going to force ourselves to watch the most disappointing team in the league while it plays one that can’t quite decide what direction its franchise is headed, then let’s make the most of it.
The Lakers have lost six of their last seven, getting by the Warriors last weekend only because LeBron James put together a one-night performance reminiscent of his best from a decade ago.
Every loss is worsening the echo chamber doubting the Lakers. Every Russell Westbrook brick creates more groans in the building formerly known as Staples Center. Not to be too much an armchair psychologist, but every Los Angeles misstep betters the chances of another. The Lakers are like the heavy favorite playing in a single-elimination game against a pesky underdog.
If a historically successful college team like Duke struggles into the second half against a No. 16 seed next week, every Blue Devils mistake will burgeon the underdog’s momentum and belief while also leading to Duke playing even tighter. That is every game for Los Angeles at this point. A bad first quarter leads to squabbling both in the huddle and with the fans.
Opponents are capitalizing on that, and not just competent opponents. The Rockets capitalized on that. So should the Wizards.
Pick: Wizards ML (+145)
Did you know that if you parlayed today’s NBA Wizards vs. Lakers predictions and picks in a single-game parlay, you could win $79.29 on a $10 bet?
Use our NBA parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
