The Los Angeles Lakers will be at the Staples Center to take on a division foe in the Los Angeles Clippers. The game gets underway at 10:30 pm ET on Tuesday, Apr. 7 and will air on TNT.
Over the last five games, Chris Paul has been playing at a high level for the Clippers. During that stretch, he has averaged 23.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 12.0 assists, 2.2 steals, and 2.8 three-pointers. On the other side, the Lakers have been led by Jordan Clarkson. He has been on a tear, averaging 18.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.8 three-pointers in the same time frame.
The high-powered Clippers offense (first in the NBA with an offensive efficiency of 109.6) will square off against the poor Lakers defense (28th in the league with a defensive efficiency of 107.2), a matchup that should favor the Clippers.
The Clippers have won all three contests against the Lakers this season, including a 106-78 blowout in their last matchup. Griffin was the game’s leading scorer with 18 points.
Oddsmakers have deemed this game an even matchup and the Over/Under (O/U) is currently unavailable. The Clippers enter the game with records of 52-26 Straight Up (SU) and 37-41 Against The Spread (ATS). They have gone 2-11 SU and 4-8-1 ATS against teams from their own division. The Clippers have one of the most prolific offenses in the entire league, averaging 106.8 points per game. Los Angeles is excellent from the perimeter with 792 three-pointers made (10.2 per game), the third-most in the league. Los Angeles has the third-most assists in the NBA, averaging 24.7 per game. Los Angeles’s defense struggles within their division. The Clippers have given up an average of 113.8 points to intra-division opponents, well over their defense’s season average of 100.3 PPG. Los Angeles has given up very few turnovers with only an average of 11.8 per game.
Across the court, Los Angeles has a SU record of 20-56 and an ATS record of 36-37-3. In divisional games, Los Angeles has gone 2-11 SU and 4-8-1 ATS. Playing against Pacific Division foes really brings the worst out of the Lakers on the defensive end. They allow 113.8 points per game against teams within their division, which is higher than their season average of 104.8.
The Clippers won the last meeting this season between these two teams, bringing their SU record to 9-1 over the Lakers in the last 10 games. Additionally, the Clippers lead the matchup ATS with a record of 8-2. The Clippers have held the edge in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers) five times over the last 10, while the Lakers accomplished this once.
Predictions: SU Winner – LAC, ATS Winner – LAC
Notes
The Clippers are one of the top scoring teams, averaging 106.8 points per game (ranked second). The Los Angeles Lakers, on the other hand, give up 104.8 points per game (ranked 28th).
The Los Angeles Clippers are one of the top scoring teams at home, averaging 106.2 points per game (ranked fifth). The Los Angeles Lakers, on the other hand, allow 106.7 points per away game (ranked 28th).
The Los Angeles Clippers won their last game by 28 points. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, the Los Angeles Lakers are 0-11. The Clippers are 18-2 in blowouts this season.
When giving up fewer than 100 points, the Lakers have a 12-14 record. When the Los Angeles Clippers score fewer than 100, they are a losing 7-14.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Lakers are just 8-42 this season. The Clippers are a stellar 45-12 when registering triple digits.
The Lakers have an offensive rating of 100.5 (ranked 23rd), while the Clippers rank 16th for their defensive rating of 102.9.
The Clippers have an average field goal percentage of 47.4% (ranked second). The Lakers are an underachieving 1-34 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
On average, the Los Angeles Clippers attempt 26.8 three point field goals per game and the Los Angeles Lakers attempt 18.7 per game. In games where they attempt at least 25 three pointers, the Clippers have a solid record of 35-16, while the Los Angeles Lakers have a poor record of 4-8.
The Los Angeles Clippers rank at the top of the league with an assist to turnover ratio of 2.10 this season. The Los Angeles Lakers rank 15th with an A/TO of 1.64.
The Los Angeles Clippers rebound 42.5 times per game and are ranked 20th. Ranked 12th, the Los Angeles Lakers rebound 43.9 times per game.
The Clippers are ranked 10th in defensive rebounds, while the Lakers rank ninth in offensive rebounds.
The Los Angeles Clippers have forced an average turnover percentage of 13.9% this season. The Lakers have a poor 7-19 record when their TOV% is 13.9% or higher.
