In a thrilling play-in game on Tuesday night, the Los Angeles Lakers secured the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference playoffs with a hard-fought 108-102 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Despite appearing to have the game wrapped up in regulation after a crucial Dennis Schroder 3-pointer, the Lakers were taken to overtime after Mike Conley’s clutch free throws tied the game.
Looking ahead to the first round, the Lakers find themselves at relatively short +105 odds to beat the Memphis Grizzlies, according to a basketball predictions analysis released by Sportytrader. This is despite being seeded five places lower than their opponents. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies are at -130 to win the series and advance to play the winner of the Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors series.
The Lakers’ odds are unsurprisingly popular with casual bettors, largely due to the presence of superstar players LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Many fans believe that the Lakers can make it to the Finals, making them a popular choice for sports bettors.
Additionally, Memphis will have to navigate the playoffs without the services of Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke. Adams, who suffered a PCL sprain in January, is reportedly out for the entire postseason, while Clarke’s Achilles injury also leaves him unavailable for the playoffs. While Xavier Tillman has stepped up to fill the void alongside Jaren Jackson Jr., the Lakers will be looking to exploit their advantage in the post if they can regularly get Jackson into foul trouble during the series.
All eyes will be on the Lakers as they enter the playoffs with high hopes of making a deep run, but they’ll have to overcome the odds and fend off a talented Memphis team if they hope to advance to the next round.
Los Angeles Lakers Playoff Schedule
The Los Angeles Lakers will face the Memphis Grizzlies in its first-round series. This will be the first playoff series between the two franchises. Los Angeles won two of three games during the regular season series, with both wins coming at home at the Crypto.com Arena.
- Game 1: Sunday, April 16 at Memphis, 3 p.m. EST
- Game 2: Wednesday, April 19 at Memphis, 7:30 p.m. EST
- Game 3: Saturday, April 22 at Los Angeles, 10:00 p.m. EST
- Game 4: Monday, April 24 at Los Angeles, time TBD
- Game 5: Wednesday, April 26 at Memphis, time TBD (if necessary)
- Game 6: Friday, April 28 at Los Angeles, time TBD (if necessary)
- Game 7: Sunday, April 30 at Memphis, time TBD (if necessary)
Barkley and Shaq Both Like the Lakers
On Tuesday’s TNT pregame show, basketball analysts Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal shared their predictions for the Los Angeles Lakers playoff prospects. Barkley expressed his confidence in the Lakers’ ability to defeat the Memphis Grizzlies, citing injuries to key players on the Grizzlies’ roster as a major factor.
Barkley specifically mentioned the absences of Brandon Clarke and Steven Adams, noting that the Grizzlies’ team would be significantly smaller without them. Clarke, in particular, is a talented offensive rebounder and a source of energy for the Grizzlies. Without him, the team would be at a disadvantage.
Barkley also pointed out that a win over the Grizzlies put the Lakers on a more promising path in the playoffs, as a victory over Memphis would set them up to face an easier opponent in the second round.
O’Neal was not as confident as Barkley in his predictions but still believed that the Lakers could come out on top against the Grizzlies.
The Lakers’ recent success has largely been due to the return of LeBron James and Anthony Davis from injuries. James played the final eight games of the regular season and scored 36 points in the Lakers’ season finale victory over the Utah Jazz. The Lakers are poised to make a strong playoff run with both James and Davis healthy.