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The Los Angeles Lakers (28-37) will play host to the Washington Wizards (29-35) on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. Tipoff is set for 10:30 p.m. ET as both teams will be looking to bounce back from a loss.
The Lakers have been struggling quite a bit recently, going 2-8 in their last 10 outings as they fall down the standings to ninth place. They’re fresh off a 139-130 OT loss to the Houston Rockets as Russell Westbrook’s 30 points and LeBron’s triple-double with 23 points, 14 rebounds, and 14 assists wasn’t enough to beat the Western Conference’s last place team.
The Wizards are coming off a 115-109 loss to the Clippers Wednesday, at least getting to avoid travel between the two games and rest up as they play at Crypto.com Arena for the second night in a row.
LA is favored by 4.5 points at DraftKings Sportsbook, with moneyline odds at -170. Washington’s ML odds are at +150, while the point total is set at 228.5.
Wizards vs. Lakers, 10:30 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Wizards +4.5
The Lakers’ troubles extend beyond their last 10 games, as they’ve gone 7-18 in their last 25 contests. They’re in desperate need of a win and can’t afford many more losses if they want to stay in the playoff picture with just 17 games left to play in the season. The Pelicans are only a game and a half behind the Lakers, while the 11th-place Trail Blazers are only three games behind. The Blazers are followed closely by the Spurs, giving several teams a chance to knock the Lakers out of playoff contention if results keep going this way.
Anthony Davis is still out with a sprained foot and hasn’t seen the floor since February 16th against Utah, making matters even more difficult for the Lakers as they struggle without their first-choice big man.
The Wizards haven’t been playing particularly well lately either, but that seems to be just the type of situation where LA falls apart, as noted in a humiliating loss to the Rockets on Wednesday. Washington also carries several players who were shipped off from LA in exchange for Westbrook last offseason, as Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Montrezl Harrell will face off against their old team for the first time this year.
Washington has gone 3-2 ATS in its last five games, and that includes two instances where it lost the game but still covered the spread. The Lakers have only covered once in their last seven games. Whether the Lakers are able to eke out a win or not, take the Wizards to keep the game close enough to cover the spread.
Over/Under: Over 228.5
While it could end up being a very close game, expect both offenses to give it everything they have as they’re both in dire need of a win. Washington has gone over the total in their last four games straight, including obliterating a 226.5 total by over 29 points in a 133-123 win over the Pacers on Sunday. Take the over in this game tonight.
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