Clippers vs. Lakers Spread at -3.5 – January 25
The Clippers vs. Lakers Spread opened in favor of the Lakers -3 and has moved up a half point. For updated lines be sure to visit Sportsbook.com here and should you decide to open an online betting account, mention me, CARRIE STROUP, and receive up to $250 in FREE CASH (based on your initial deposit).
Sportsbook.com Line & Total: Lakers -3.5 & 186.5
Opening Line & Total: Lakers 3 & 187
The new-look Clippers have a chance to further claim Los Angeles when they play a “road” game against the Lakers Wednesday night.
The Clippers already beat the Lakers in the Staples Center once, 102-94 on Jan. 14, a Clippers home game. But while this is the same building, it plays much different when the Lakers are the designated home team. It’s not just the different season ticket holders, but the blackout lighting the Lakers use creates a different backdrop for shooters. It’s part of the reason why, over the past four seasons, the Lakers are 6-0 SU and 3-3 ATS as the home team but only 3-4 SU and 1-6 ATS as the visiting team in this series. During that span, the Clippers hit 44.1% of their field goals and 36.7% of their threes as the home team, but just 41.5% of their shots and 29.8% of their threes as the visitors. Factor in the Lakers’ far better play at home this year (9-2 SU, 6-5 ATS), and they should be able to hold serve.
The Clippers are still awaiting the return of PG Chris Paul (18.0 PPG, 52% FG, 8.4 APG) from a hamstring injury. He’s been practicing of late, and expects to start on Wednesday night for his first action since the last meeting with the Lakers, a span of five games. Paul has been a Lakers killer. He had 33 points on 12-of-22 shooting and six assists in the teams’ first meeting of the year, and over the past six seasons is averaging 21.9 PPG on 50.2% shooting and 12.1 APG against the Lakers. The fact that Paul will likely be less than 100 percent does not bode well for the Clippers.
The Clippers are 3-2 SU and ATS with Paul out of the lineup, but dropped their only road game in embarrassing fashion, 108-79 in Utah. Since returning from a foot injury of his own PG Mo Williams has absolutely lit it up over three games without Paul, averaging 25.7 PPG on 64.4% shooting from the field and 61.5% shooting from three. It’s helped make up for mini-slumps from PF Blake Griffin (21.0 PPG, 11.5 RPG), who’s averaging just 17.2 PPG on 47.1% shooting with Paul out and G Chauncey Billups (15.8 PPG, 4.4 APG), who’s averaging 15.2 PPG on 31.9% shooting since Paul went down.
The Lakers are trying to recover from a three-game SU slide (and a six-game ATS slide). They lost tough games in Miami and Orlando before coming home to be upset by the Pacers in a game they led in the final two minutes. The trio of SG Kobe Bryant (30.5 PPG), PF Paul Gasol (15.8 PPG, 9.3 RPG) and C Andrew Bynum (15.9 PPG, 13.2 RPG) is getting little offensive help during this recent slide. They’re averaging 29.0 PPG, 15.7 PPG and 13.7 PPG respectively, but no one else on the team is scoring more than 6.7 PPG over the Lakers’ past three. The team has averaged 87.7 PPG on 40.7% shooting in those games, and they’ve topped 100 points just once all season.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
