LA Clippers at LA Lakers NBA Pick, Prediction & TV Info

The Los Angeles Lakers have no reason to care about winning the rest of the way. Each loss helps them as they try to hold onto their first-round draft pick rather than have to give it to the Philadelphia 76ers. That said, if there’s one team that the Lakers would like to beat it’s co-Staples Center tenant the LA Clippers. Those two square off Tuesday night. Here’s a look at the NBA betting preview for the game.

LA Clippers at LA Lakers NBA Pick, Prediction & TV Info

When: Tuesday, March 21, 10:30 PM ET Where: Staples Center, LA TV: NBA League Pass Stream: NBA.tv Radio: Clippers / Lakers NBA Odds: Clippers favored by TBA

Why Bet on Clippers?

This will be the second of a back-to- back for the Clippers after hosting the Knicks on Monday. At least they didn’t have to travel after. L.A. entered that one off ending a three-game losing streak Saturday in a 108-78 victory over Cleveland, which rested LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. Many fans and bettors were upset over the Cavs deciding to do that. Clippers coach Doc Rivers said the Saturday national games used to be protected against these problems because their afternoon starts prevented a team from being forced to play Friday night. The showcase is now an evening game. “I think that we have to protect the national games,” Rivers said. “We have to treat those games like they’re afternoon games, and you don’t play the night before, and you don’t play the next night after. It sounds so easy, but it is not, because it’s hard to schedule around that. It makes the rest of the schedule harder … but the look of (these last two) back-to- back ABC national games is not good.” The Clippers’ 30-point margin of victory (108-78) vs. Cleveland marked their fourth 30+ point win this season, their first since Nov. 14, 2016 vs. Brooklyn, and their first against Cleveland since Dec. 5, 1975 as the Buffalo Braves. The Clippers held the Cavaliers to a season-low 78 points on March 18. L.A. has won 29 straight games in which they have held their opponent under 80 points, dating back to March 3, 2007, the NBA’s fourth-longest active streak. The race for the fourth seed in the Western Conference and home-court advantage in the first-round of the playoffs is in full bloom. And the Clippers are in the thick of it, along with the Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder and Memphis Grizzlies. The Clippers are fifth in the West, two games behind the fourth-place Jazz. The sixth-seeded Thunder are 2½ games behind the Jazz and just a half-game behind the Clippers, with Memphis a half-game behind OKC. Chris Paul is averaging career-highs in three-pointers made (2.1) and attempted (5.0), and is shooting a career-high 41.6% from three-point range this season. Blake Griffin is one of two players (R. Westbrook) averaging 20+ points, 8.5+ rebounds & 5+ assists this season.

Why Bet on Lakers?

Los Angeles is in full tank mode and dropped a fifth in arrow Sunday, 125-120 to the Cavs, who played all their stars in that one. The Lakers blew an 11-point fourth-quarter lead. D’Angelo Russell scored a career-high 40 points in a spectacular return to the starting lineup for the Lakers, who have lost five straight and 13 of 14. Russell hit seven 3-pointers and had six assists while committing just one turnover in 41 minutes. Russell started with Nick Young out due to a stomach issue. Russell also was the youngest player since LeBron James to finish with at least 40 points, six assists and one or fewer turnovers. (James pulled that off as a 21-year- old, too.). “When you’re playing shooting guard, you have to score the ball or make plays for your teammates,” Russell said. “Playing the point guard, it’s harder kind of to do that, being aggressive and trying to score the ball every time. You have to make at least one pass. I’m figuring it out. Whatever position I’m in, I’ll try to make the best of it.” Jordan Clarkson added 19 points for the Lakers, and rookie Brandon Ingram had 18. All five Lakers starters scored in double figures for the first time since Christmas. Ingram is shooting just shooting 39.0 percent on the season, but in an expanded role in March he’s averaged 12.3 points on 50.6 percent shooting. The Lakers have used 20 different starting units on the season. No Laker has started every game this season. Clarkson and Ingram are the only Lakers to appear in every game this season. The Lakers are 9-1 when shooting 50.0% or better from the field and 4-1 when holding the opposition under 40.0% from the field this season. Los Angeles is 9-1 when scoring 120+ points and 8-3 when holding the opposition under 100 points in 2016-17. The Clippers have won 12 of the past 13 matchups vs. the Lakers but did lose on Christmas 111-102, meaning they have a one-game losing streak on the “road” in this series.

LA Clippers at LA Lakers Pick: Los Angeles Clippers

It’s possible the Clippers rest a guy or two after playing Monday.