Article courtesy OddsShark (@OddsShark)
The Los Angeles Lakers are 0-2 straight up and against the spread in their two games against the L.A. Clippers this season. The Lakers hope to solve their Staples Center rivals in the latest battle for LA on Sunday afternoon.
The Lakers are a 2.5-point “road” underdog on the NBA odds against the Clippers at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. The Clippers were 3.5-point underdogs in a 112-102 win at home over the Lakers back in October and were 2.5-point underdogs in a 111-106 win during a Lakers home game on Christmas Day.
Lakers at Clippers | OddsShark Matchup Report
The Lakers picked up an impressive statement win on Friday night when they defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 113-103 at home. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 32 points with 11 rebounds in defeat, but he was unable to overcome the Lakers’ dynamic duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Davis had 30 points and nine rebounds in the win while James continued to make his case for MVP with 37 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists. Los Angeles is 9-1 SU and 8-2 ATS this season with a current streak of 3-0 SU and ATS over its last three games.
If the Lakers close as a betting underdog, it will be just the eighth time in 2019-20 that they have done so. The Lakers are 6-1 SU and ATS as an underdog this season per the OddsShark NBA Database.
With a 120-105 win on the road over the Houston Rockets on Thursday night, the Clippers improved to 6-0 SU and 5-1 ATS over their last six games. Kawhi Leonard is building on his sensational campaign last season, averaging 26.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game in 49 games played.
These averages currently stand as the best regular season averages of Leonard’s career, and the NBA world saw last season how much he can dial it up another level in the postseason. The Clippers are 25-6 SU and 18-13 ATS at home this season.
Sunday’s total is set at 225.5 points at sports betting sites. The OVER is 4-1 in the Clippers’ last five home games against the Lakers.
It feels inevitable that the Western Conference is going to eventually boil down to these two teams. So far, the Clippers have held control in this rivalry; but a Lakers win in this one could help to change the narrative down the stretch.
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