Over the years, the NBA has always followed a bit of a similar pattern. At the top of the conferences, you usually have one or two teams who are markedly better than the rest. Below them is where you will find a decent number of teams all battling it out for the remaining playoff spots, while the gap between them and the teams below the playoff line expands as the season progresses. This season is displaying a similar pattern, although we currently have two very clear leaders at the top of the Eastern and Western Conferences.
It is, of course, much too early to be crowning a team as the conference champion, but both the Milwaukee Bucks and the LA Lakers have made it clear that they are the class of the NBA and are going to be tough to catch. The LA Lakers will be out east on Thursday night, as they head into New York City to face the Brooklyn Nets. The Lakers will be looking to maintain their current hot play, while the Nets are simply trying to stay above the playoff line in the Eastern Conference. The Lakers are favored by 6, with the point total set at 228 ½.
Lakers vs Nets 2020 NBA Odds, Game Info & Prediction
- When: Thursday, January 23 at 8 PM EST
- Where: Barclays Center, NYC
- TV: TNT
- Radio: SiriusXM
- Live Stream: NBA League Pass
- NBA Odds: Los Angeles Lakers -6 (Total 228.5)
Why bet on the LA Lakers?
There is not much to say about the Lakers that hasn’t been said by countless other sportswriters this season. The fact of the matter is that they look like a legitimate championship contender, with injuries likely to be the only thing that could possibly derail them right now. They come into this game sporting a truly impressive 35-9 record, which includes being 8-2 in their last 10 games.As good as they have been, the Utah Jazz are a bit of a pest, which means that the Lakers lead at the top of the Western Conference is 4 games. That is still going to be near impossible to overturn of they continue to win at this rate. The Lakers are 19-4 on the road, but the one area where they don’t look quite so dominant is in non-conference games, where they are 12-5 SU.
Team Stats
Offense- Total Score: 113.73
- Field Goal Percentage: 48.41
- Three-Point Percentage: 35.87
- Free Throw Percentage: 73.93
- Total Rebounds: 45.57
Defense
- Total Score: 106.09
- Field Goal Percentage: 44.04
- Three-Point Percentage: 33.68
- Free Throw Percentage: 78.52
- Total Rebounds: 42.48
Why bet on the Brooklyn Nets?
The Brooklyn Nets are a team heading in the wrong direction right now, which is making their grip in the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference more than a little slippery. They come into this one on a 4-game losing skid and a run that has seen them win just 2 of their last 10 games.
That run has dropped them down to 18-24 on the season, which has them now sitting just 2 ½ games above the playoff line. They need to get things turned around and fast. The Nets have not been a great bet against the spread, going just 2-11 ATS in their last 13 games. It has been the same even when they play at home, going 2-6 ATS in their last 8 home games.
Team Stats
Offense- Total Score: 109.29
- Field Goal Percentage: 44.03
- Three-Point Percentage: 33.20
- Free Throw Percentage: 73.23
- Total Rebounds: 48.57
Defense
- Total Score: 111.62
- Field Goal Percentage: 43.77
- Three-Point Percentage: 35.07
- Free Throw Percentage: 76.96
- Total Rebounds: 46.86
Lakers vs Nets 2020 NBA Betting Trends
- Nets are 2-11 SU in their last 13 games
- Nets are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games this season
- The total has gone OVER in 8 of Brooklyn’s last 12 games played in January
- Lakers are 17-3 SU in their last 20 games on the road
- Lakers are 1-8 ATS in their last 9 games against an opponent in the Atlantic division
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Lakers’ last 5 games this season
Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction for Lakers vs Nets
While the Lakers have not been particularly convincing against the spread, going 12-11 ATS on the road this season, this is one that you would expect them to win comfortably. I am taking LA to win and cover.Score: LA Lakers 117 – Brooklyn Nets 106
