NBA Betting Lines — Banged-up Lakers Are Visitors for Staples Center Date With Clippers

We kind of wonder whether Jack Nicholson is going to get the seats he wants for a game like this. Seriously, this is a unique scenario in NBA betting, as two teams share the same building. We are, of course, talking about the Staples Center and the rivalry that exists between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers. It has been rare that both of these teams have been strong contenders at the same time, and we are also sad to report that this is not one of those times. The Lakers are really hurting right now, both physically and in the standings. They have had a hard time putting able bodies on the court, and the results have shown that, with nine losses in the last 10 games. On Friday night they face a Clipper squad that will be going without its best player, but a much stronger supporting cast.

The Lakers, with their 14-22 record (16-18-2 against the NBA odds), are six games behind the Dallas Mavericks, who currently hold the #8 position in the overall Western Conference standings. And since they don’t really know when they’re going to get some of their injured players back, there may not be a whole lot of room for hope. After all, this is not the East, where you can show all kinds of futility and still be in the running for a playoff spot. By the time Kobe Bryant comes back from his knee injury (sometime after the All-Star break), things may be too out of reach for them.

Speaking of the East, the Clippers would be in really good shape if they were in that conference. With their 25-13 mark, they would be solidly in third place behind Miami and Indiana. But in the West, they’re going to be battling for a first-round home-court advantage in the post-season, even if they continue at their current pace (which is good enough to leave the Pacific Division). When you look at the West overall, they are only one game ahead of both the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets. So this will be a dogfight to the end, in all likelihood.

In the NBA betting lines that have been posted at Get That Bet for this game, the Clippers are double-digit favorites, as the home squad:

NBA betting lines @ Get That Bet USA On line Sportsbook

Los Angeles Clippers -10
Los Angeles Lakers +10

Over 210 points -110
Under 210 points -110

The Lakers are severely depleted. Aside from the absence of Bryant, they have also been missing Steve Nash, the future Hall of Famer who was supposed to make a big difference in Mike D’Antoni’s offensive scheme when he came over from Phoenix. Steve Blake, who was a very capable backup and had assumed the starting role in place of Nash, is out indefinitely as well. Add to that the injury losses of Jordan Farmar and Xavier Henry, and sportsbook bettors can see that the Lakers are hard-pressed to get a lot of production out of the guard position. As far as frontcourt personnel are concerned, Pau Gasol seems to be on the downside of his career, and Chris Kaman has most certainly lost a step or two. They have been going with Robert Sacre and, a very unproven commodity, at center.

Get That Bet customers who have been following the Clippers are well aware that they are without Chris Paul, an All-Star point guard who had a tremendous effect on a game, on both the offensive and defensive ends. Darren Collison is adequate in his place, but the Clippers really lose something from the standpoint of playmaking when they have to go to the second unit. We can envision lineups where JJ Redick (who has just returned from an injury) may actually be handing the ball a lot. But the Clippers will have an advantage in the paint, with the Blake Griffin. And that is what they will rely on.

This is payback time for the Clippers; on opening night, as a 10-point favorite in the NBA betting lines, they lost by a score of 116-103, and were badly beaten on the back boards. In fact, the Lakers had a 64-49 rebounding edge in the game. They were the home team in that one, but the fact that they are just 1-8 against the basketball odds as a road underdog may be a factor here.

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