Wizards vs Lakers Prediction, Picks & Odds for Tonight’s NBA Game

Jordan Poole is overdue for a much-needed encouraging performance to help the gloomy Washington Wizards get through the season and though the Los Angeles Lakers won't be the easiest team to do it against, it's time for Poole to get back in motion.

Jason Logan: Senior Betting Analyst at Covers
Jason Logan • Senior Betting Analyst
Jan 21, 2025 • 12:04 ET • 4 min read

NBA

Match starts: 1 hrs
LAL
39 %
WAS
61 %
EXPERT PICK - PROP
Jordan Poole u20.5 Points (-105) Jordan Poole u20.5 Points (-105)
Read Analysis
Photo By - Imagn Images.

The Washington Wizards lug their 10-game losing streak to L.A. to face the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night.

Washington’s woes have been compounded by a recent downtick in production from star guard Jordan Poole, who could be in for a long night against Los Angeles as we preview the matchup in my Wizards vs. Lakers predictions. 

Here are my best NBA picks for Tuesday, January 21.

Wizards vs Lakers prediction

My best bet
Jordan Poole Under 20.5 points  (-115 at bet365)

My analysis

Jordan Poole erupted for 38 points while playing against his former club, the Golden State Warriors, on Saturday. However, without that extra motivation, Poole has been ho-hum for most of the month.

He followed that heated effort against the Warriors with an absolute stinker versus the Sacramento Kings, shooting 4 for 11 from the field and committing six turnovers on Sunday. The game prior to playing in Golden State, Poole posted only 18 points on 6-for-16 shooting in a home loss to the Phoenix Suns last Thursday.

Outside of playing with passion against the Dubs (and jacking up 25 shots), Poole has failed to top 20 points in four of his last five outings. He started January with a hot hand but has since connected on less than 40% of his shots, including a 35% clip from 3-point range, in the past five contests.

The Los Angeles Lakers aren’t among the defensive elite, but they do play a considerably slower pace than the Washington Wizards, which will put the breaks on Washington’s up-tempo offense and limit its possessions and field goal attempts.

Player projections for Poole range from 17.7 to 21 points, with the bulk of those models coming in shorter than his scoring prop total of 20.5 points on Tuesday. My number sits just north of 18.5 points, which should have the Under 20.5 drawing juice around -180. You can get Poole Under 20.5 points at -115 at bet365.

Wizards vs Lakers same-game parlay

Jordan Poole Under 20.5 points

Austin Reeves 3+ three-pointers

Under 229.5 

Outside of an extra effort against the Dubs, Poole is shooting poorly and plenty of projections have him scoring less than 20 points tonight.

Reeves will let it fly against a Wizards defense giving up the second most 3-pointers in the NBA.

The Lakers have done a good job on defense in recent home stands and will slow down Washington’s tempo with their methodical pace.

Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

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Take advantage of the early win payout at bet365, where any pre-game NBA moneyline bet gets paid out as a winner if your team goes up by 20+ points!

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Wizards vs Lakers odds

Wizards vs Lakers live odds

Wizards vs Lakers opening odds

  • Spread: Washington +13.5 (-110) | Los Angeles -13.5 (-110)
  • Moneyline: Washington +575 | Los Angeles -850
  • Over/Under: Over 228.5 (-110) | Under 228.5 (-110)

Odds courtesy of bet365

Wizards vs Lakers spread and Over/Under analysis

  • Los Angeles opened as a 14.5-point home favorite and that spread dipped as low as -12/5 before coming back up to -13.5.
  • The Over/Under started at 231.5 points and has dropped to 229.5 O/U with movement toward the Under.
  • Covers Consensus shows 61% of spread picks taking that pile of points with Washington while 67% of total picks are siding with the Over in L.A. tonight.

Wizards vs Lakers trend

Washington is 1-16 SU and 5-11 ATS against non-conference competition this season. Find more NBA betting trends for Wizards vs. Lakers.

How to watch Wizards vs Lakers

Location Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
Date Tuesday, 1-21-2025
Tip-off 10:30 p.m. ET
TV Spectrum SportsNet, MNMT2

Wizards vs Lakers latest injuries

Not intended for use in MA.
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Jason Logan Senior Industry Analyst Covers.com
Senior Betting Analyst

In his 20 years with Covers, lead NFL betting analyst “JLo” has seen it all and bet it all. Through the wild west of early Internet gambling to lobbying for legalized sports betting to our brave new wagering world, Jason has been a consistent source of actionable info and entertainment for squares and sharps alike.

Since joining the Covers team back in 2005, he’s honed his handicapping skills to provide audiences with the most thorough insights, blending traditional capping methods with advanced modelling and predictive analysis. Jason has studied the ins and outs of the sports betting business, learning from some of the most successful gamblers in the industry and the biggest sportsbook operators on the planet.

He is under center for Covers during NFL season as our top NFL expert, taking the points in his infamous “NFL Underdogs” column and representing the Covers Community at the Super Bowl. While he lives for football season, Jason’s first love is basketball and that shows in his in-depth NBA, NCAA, and WNBA betting breakdowns.

On top of being a mainstay in media from coast to coast – WPIX, PHL17, Fox 5 San Diego, WGNO, TSN, SportsNet, ESPN Radio – he’s had his analysis featured in USA Today, MSNBC, ESPN, the Wall Street Journal, CBS, Bloomberg, the L.A. Times, the New York Times and other major publications. You can also find JLo stuffing all the top picks and predictions he can into 10 minutes as the host of Covers’ flagship podcast, The Sharp 600.

His best advice for bettors new and old is “Handicapping isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ process. The impact and importance of information varies from bet to bet. Treat each wager different than the last.”

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