Sean Barnard details his preview and prediction for the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Los Angeles Clippers NBA matchup.

Rounding out Saturday’s 10-game NBA slate, the Los Angeles Lakers will take on the Los Angeles Clippers.

This is the second matchup between these cross-town rivals. The Lakers cruised to a 135-118 victory at Crypto.com Arena on Nov. 25 and will attempt to find the same success 13.5 miles away at the Intuit Dome.

Looking at the odds, the Lakers enter as 1.5-point favorites and hold -120 moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Clippers are +100 underdogs with the game total set at 229.5 points.

This article will look at a preview and prediction for the Saturday night matchup.

Lakers vs. Clippers Preview

The Lakers are off to a 19-7 start to the season, which slots them at fourth place in the Western Conference. They enter this matchup on a two-game winning streak and have won 11 of their last 14. Los Angeles is 16-10 against the spread, and the over has cashed in 18 of their 26 games.

Luka Doncic headlines the production for the Lakers. The five-time All-NBA guard is averaging a league-leading 35.2 points per game, along with 9.1 assists and 8.8 rebounds. LeBron James has found his footing, averaging 18.6 points, 7.5 assists, and 5.8 rebounds across his first 10 games. Still, the Lakers will be a bit shorthanded tonight. Austin Reaves remains sidelined with his calf issue, while Deandre Ayton, Rui Hachimura, and Gabe Vincent have been ruled out for the matchup. LA’s rotation will be rounded out by Marcus Smart, Jake LaRavia, Jaxson Hayes, Dalton Knecht, and Jarred Vanderbilt.

The Lakers are producing 119.2 points per game, which ranks eighth in the league. They rank sixth in offensive rating, second in field goal percentage, 18th in three-point percentage, and 26th in rebounds per game. Defensively, Los Angeles is allowing 117.4 points per contest. This ranks 20th in the league, and they rank 22nd in defensive rating, 24th in opponent field goal percentage, and 29th in opponent three-point percentage.

It has been a disappointing start to the season for the Los Angeles Clippers. They enter this matchup with a brutal 6-21 record, which slots them at 14th place in the loaded Western Conference. The Clippers are looking to snap a five-game losing streak and have dropped 10 of their last 11. Los Angeles is 8-19 against the spread, and the under has cashed in 14 of their 27 games.

James Harden leads the team with 26.0 points, 8.1 assists, and 5.4 rebounds per game. Kawhi Leonard has suited up for 17 games so far and is adding 24.8 points and 5.8 rebounds a night. Ivica Zubac has held down the production on the interior, adding 16.0 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. Cam Christie is questionable for the matchup, while Bradley Beal, Derrick Jones Jr., and Yanic Konan Niederhauser are each sidelined. John Collins, Kris Dunn, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Nicolas Batum round out most of their notable depth.

The Clippers are producing 110.9 points per game, which ranks 28th in the league. They rank 24th in offensive rating, 16th in field goal percentage, 20th in three-point percentage, and 27th in rebounds per game. Things aren’t much better on the other end. Los Angeles is allowing 117.0 points per game, which ranks 18th, and they are 26th in defensive rating, 21st in opponent field goal percentage, and dead last in opponent three-point percentage allowed.

Lakers vs. Clippers Prediction, Best Bet

There will be some extra juice in the building from the cross-town rivalry, but there is a substantial gap in what these teams have looked like on the court this year. The Lakers out-rebounded the Clippers 38-29 in the first matchup and scored 62 points in the paint. Luka Doncic was unstoppable, scoring 43 points along with 13 assists.

Both these teams last played on Thursday, so there is no rest advantage in either direction. The Clippers’ outlook has only worsened since their first matchup, and there is little reason to believe there will be a change in results. Their lone victory since losing to the Lakers came against the Hawks, while they dropped games to the Mavericks, Heat, Grizzlies (three times), Timberwolves, Rockets, and Thunder since.

This isn’t exactly a get-right spot, with the Lakers playing high-level basketball all season. Expect Doncic to shine as the best player on the floor and for LeBron James to help fill in the gaps. The Lakers have shot the ball well from the perimeter of late, shooting 38.2% from beyond the arc over their past 10 games, and this will be a problem against a Clippers team that ranks dead last in opponent three-point percentage allowed.

Expect things to get worse before they get better for the Clippers and for the Lakers to take a 2-0 series advantage in the cross-town rivalry. Count on the Lakers’ offensive output to be too much for the Clippers to match. While I’m backing the Lakers on the moneyline, there is also some intriguing value on the alternate lines.

Best Bet: Lakers Moneyline (-120)