The Los Angeles Lakers have a lot on the line in their final regular-season games. The defending champs are still trying to make the playoffs while their two superstars deal with injuries.

The high ankle sprain that cost LeBron James 20 straight games doesn’t appear to be fully healed, and the four-time NBA Finals MVP isn’t expected to play again until next week. Anthony Davis got hurt again in Thursday’s loss against the Los Angeles Clippers, raising questions about his availability and effectiveness going forward.

There is some good news ahead of the team’s biggest game this season. The back spasms that forced Davis to miss most of the last contest aren’t expected to sideline him Friday night against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Friday’s contest between the Lakers and Blazers could ultimately determine which team is forced to compete in the play-in tournament. The two teams share the same record. Friday’s winner will take sole possession of the No. 6 seed in the West, along with the tiebreaker.

If the Lakers lose Friday, they will be the West’s No. 7 seed. Finishing as the No. 7 or No. 8 seed would mean having to win a game in the play-in tournament in order to reach the playoffs.

“The play-in tournament is out of my control,” Lakers head coach Frank Vogel said Thursday. "If we're in it, we'll compete and we'll win those games so that we can try to advance. Whether we should have one or not is really not up to me. So I don’t spend too much time or thought on whether it's good or not.”

Despite a potential appearance in the play-in tournament, the Lakers are expected to make the playoffs. In fact, the betting odds are overwhelmingly in their favor.

DraftKings Sportsbook gives the Lakers -1667 odds to make the postseason and +800 to miss the playoffs.

The Lakers could conceivably finish as high as the No. 5 seed. The team trails the Dallas Mavericks by a game in the standings.

Falling behind the No. 8 seed Golden State Warriors, who are 3.5 games back of Portland, is very unlikely.

The Lakers have six more games left on their schedule.

Anthony Davis #3 and Kyle Kuzma #0 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts as they are helped up off the floor by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope #1 and Andre Drummond #2, after their collision, during the first quarter against the LA Clippers at Staples Center
Anthony Davis #3 and Kyle Kuzma #0 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts as they are helped up off the floor by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope #1 and Andre Drummond #2, after their collision, during the first quarter against the LA Clippers at Staples Center Getty Images | Harry How
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