The Los Angeles Lakers remain the heavy favorites in the Western Conference with one month left in the regular season. With LeBron James and Anthony Davis continuing to miss extended periods of time because of serious injuries, the Lakers might not be the best championship bet in L.A.

The Los Angeles Clippers have seemingly gone under the radar, despite a strong 2020-21 campaign. The Clippers are four games ahead of the Lakers in the standings as the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. Kawhi Leonard and Co. are just 1.5 games behind the No. 2 seed Phoenix Suns and three games behind the No. 1 seed Utah Jazz.

But oddsmakers still prefer the Lakers. Six months after winning the 2020 NBA Finals, the Lakers have +170 betting odds at FanDuel Sportsbook to win the West.

The Jazz are pegged as the biggest threat to the defending champs with +260 odds.

The Clippers are third with +300 odds to represent the West in the 2021 NBA Finals.

A healthy Lakers team has the best chance of winning the title. James remains the game's best player and was potentially on track to win his fifth MVP award before suffering a high ankle sprain on March 20. Davis proved to be a top-five NBA player during last year’s championship run.

Davis answered the questions that still surround Paul George, who came up short in last season’s playoffs. An All-NBA-caliber player in the regular season, George has a history of postseason flameouts, most notably his 4-16 shooting performance in Game 7 of the Clippers’ 2020 second-round series. Leonard scored 14 points on 22 shots as the team choked away a chance to face the Lakers in a highly anticipated conference finals matchup.

In the franchise’s 50-year history, the Clippers have never reached the conference finals.

But this is a unique season, and the Clippers might have their best chance to win the West. James and Davis are expected to return a few weeks before the playoffs, though it can’t be known for sure if both players will remain 100% healthy. As injuries ravage teams across the league, the Clippers’ stars have been able to avoid getting seriously hurt.

The Lakers are only 3.5 games ahead of the No. 7 seed Dallas Mavericks with James and Davis still sidelined. It’s entirely possible that the champs will be forced to compete in the play-in tournament and earn a playoff berth after the regular season has concluded.

The all-L.A. playoff series could come in the first round when the Lakers’ stars have only resumed playing for a short time.

A seven-game winning streak makes the Clippers the hottest team in the NBA. They have 13 wins in their last 15 games. Dating back to last season, the team has been terrific when George and Leonard are both in the lineup.

Leonard is averaging 26.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.0 steals and 1.7 assists per game. George is nearly matching those numbers while shooting 44.1% from 3-point range.

The Clippers are shooting a historic 41.8% from behind the arc as a team. It’s resulted in the most efficient offense of all time.

The Clippers rank 10th in defensive efficiency. The Lakers remain the NBA’s best defensive team. The ability to get stops, along with James and Davis returning to their 2020 form could catapult the Lakers to another title run.

LeBron James Kawhi Lakers Clippers
LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket on Kawhi Leonard #2 of the LA Clippers during a 112-103 Lakers win at Staples Center on March 08, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. Harry How/Getty Images
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