Lakers vs. Clippers 2019: Christmas Day Prediction Against The Spread, Odds, Preview For NBA Game

The main event of the 2019 NBA Christmas Day schedule features arguably the most anticipated game of the entire regular season. The Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers will face off at Staples Center in a battle of the league’s top contenders.

Much was made about the expected parity in the West because of this past summer’s player movement, but the season’s first two months have made one thing clear: it’s the two L.A. teams and then everyone else when it comes to the race for the conference championship.

The Lakers quickly reminded everyone that LeBron James and Anthony Davis are one of the best duos in NBA history. With a stretch of 24 wins in 26 games until a recent skid, the Lakers have the West’s top record after 30 games.

The Clippers put together maybe the best roster in basketball when they added Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in July. Even as both players have missed a notable amount of time with injuries and load management, the Clippers are the West’s No.4 seed, trailing the Lakers by just three games in the standings.

The Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets enter Christmas as the No.2 and No.3 seeds in the West, respectively.

The Clippers began the season as the 2020 NBA Finals favorites. They beat the Lakers on Opening Night. Despite what the standings might say, Los Angeles’ second team still has the edge in Wednesday night’s contest.

Both James and Davis are dealing with injuries, and it’s contributed to the team’s three-game losing streak. Davis missed the first game of the skid when he sat out a 105-102 loss in Indiana with a sprained ankle. A thoracic muscle strain forced James to miss the Lakers’ most recent game, a one-sided 128-104 home loss at the hands of the Denver Nuggets Sunday night.

The two superstars are questionable for the Christmas Day matchup. A source has told ESPN that James expects to be in the lineup after a one-game absence. Davis appeared to hurt his knee at the end of Sunday’s game, and he told reporters he would have to wait and see if the ailment will cost him any time.

The betting line likely assumes that both James and Davis will play. The Clippers are 1.5-point favorites, according to OddsShark, in what is essentially a neutral-site game. The Lakers are technically the home team in the building where both teams play half of their games.

Wednesday’s over/under is 223.5.

The Clippers were the home team on Opening Night. They defeated the Lakers 112-102, never leading by fewer than eight points in the final six minutes.

The Lakers would go on to have the NBA’s best record over the next 26 games. While further developing their chemistry, James and Davis have performed like MVP candidates.

James scored 18 points on 19 field-goal attempts in the season opener to go along with five turnovers. He could be much better in the second meeting with the Clippers.

Davis had 25 points, nine rebounds, five assists and two blocks. The Lakers outscored the Clippers by three points with Davis on the floor. The Clippers don’t have much of an answer for the big man.

The Clippers also won that game without George. After finishing third in last season’s MVP race, George is averaging 24.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. He is shooting 40.1% on 9.4 threes per game.

Leonard is averaging 25.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. The Clippers are 18-5 when he plays. They have an 11-3 record when both Leonard and George suit up.

The Lakers’ defense catapulted them to the top of the standings. The team has played poorly on that side of the court lately, ranking 17th in defensive efficiency over the last seven games. The Clippers are sixth during that span and fifth overall.

In close games, Leonard usually takes over. He’s averaging 7.9 points in the fourth quarter on 53.4% shooting.

In what’s likely to be a highly competitive contest, the Clippers’ defense and Leonard’s fourth-quarter scoring could be the difference.

Prediction: Clippers over Lakers, 115-110