The Lakers are tipping off in LA tonight against the Washington Wizards at 7:30 PM ET. This is the first time we’ve seen these teams square off, but it’s not hard to tell that LA is the favorite. With LeBron and AD likely playing tonight, the talent difference between these teams is insane. Of course, that’s by design, as Washington continues to tank this season for better draft odds. Despite this game being a one-sided affair most likely, there are still some fun lines!
Jarred Vanderbilt Out
LeBron James Probable
Jalen Hood-Schifino Out
Anthony Davis Questionable
Marvin Bagley III Out
Malcolm Brogdon Out
This won’t likely be much of a matchup. The Wizards haven’t been strong competitors this year with an ineffective roster. They’re still on the path of rebuilding around number two pick Alexandre Sarr and sixth pick Bilal Coulibaly.
The Lakers will likely run through the Wizards fast. Expect this game to have a ton of work for the role players. Austin Reaves should have a solid chance to score points tonight. With the Wizards' backcourt weak on defense, Reaves should be able to make it to the rim at will.
Other than Reaves, expect LeBron to land under on most of these lines. Unless he explodes in the first half, he’ll likely get pulled in the third quarter if the game is a blowout, as expected. The same goes for Anthony Davis.
Overall, this game shouldn’t be too interesting. I’d say play it safe on the bets and don’t overthink it.
Money line: WAS (+550) / LAL (-800)
Total Points: 228.5
Spread: +13 WAS (-112) / -13 LAL (-108)
With LA as such a favorite, this line is a stay away. There is no value left on it and not much of an avenue for an upset. Obviously, crazy things can happen in the NBA. However, with the Lakers needing an easy win and the Wizards not incentivized to win, they should walk away with this game easily unless LA can’t hit the side of the barn.
The under is the move tonight. The Wizards have not been scoring well. With most of their games averaging 108 points, it’s a big hurdle for the Lakers to make up that extra 20 points. It’s possible, but with AD shutting down the paint against the Wiz, they’ll likely struggle without hitting perimeter shots.
With the spread so extensive, this might be tricky to call. Since the Lakers haven’t been blowing teams out, I’d hedge and go with the Wizards' spread.
Austin Reaves 25+ Points (+255)
Taking the alternate points total for Reaves looks excellent tonight. We recently saw Reaves score 38 against Brooklyn. If allowed, he can punish teams on the scoreboard. He’ll likely get a ton of runs tonight against a struggling Wizards roster.
LeBron James Under 41.5 Combined Points + Rebounds + Assist (-115)
I don’t expect to see LeBron on the court too much tonight. If everything goes as planned, he’ll likely play around 30 minutes tonight. He has been logging a ton of minutes lately, and giving him a break should be a priority. He’ll likely miss this 42 PRA mark if he's off the court early.
Alexandre Sarr Over 6.5 Rebounds (-130)
With Sarr averaging nearly 7 boards a game already, it’s not a stretch he’ll get that early. With AD as the only real rebound threat this game, Sarr will likely clean up a fair number of boards tonight.
Corey Kispert 3+ Made Threes (+105)
Kispert has been having an off year, but he can still hit three threes tonight. He averages nearly 5 three-point attempts per game. It might be close, but he’s already done it a couple of times this year.