Clippers vs Lakers Betting Odds: Clippers Favored in LA Showdown

The Los Angeles Lakers are 0-1 to start the 2022-23 season after dropping their first NBA game on the road against the Golden State Warriors. With the Warriors holding their championship ring ceremony prior to the start of that game, it was a tough atmosphere for the Lakers from the get-go.

However, playing in a tough atmosphere seems to be the least of Laker fans’ problems after their team lost 123-109. Luckily for the city of Los Angeles, there is another NBA team in the area that is coming into the season with high expectations and a lot to look forward to, which is why the Clippers vs Lakers betting odds have the Clippers as the favorite in this one.

Kawhi Leonard is Back and Healthy

The Clippers vs Lakers betting odds have the red and blue Los Angeles team as the five-point favorite over the purple and gold. We agree with those NBA odds for a number of reasons, but most notably because of the return of Kawhi Leonard.

Leonard missed all of last season recovering from an ACL tear but is back and finally fully healthy. As the best player on this roster, he makes an immediate impact on both ends of the floor and has the ability to help this team reach its ceiling. His importance to this team’s offense is multi-fold, but his effectiveness in operating in the midrange forces defenders to have to help, and in turn sag off their man, opening up the perimeter for other shooters.

With Leonard in the lineup to compliment the play of their other superstar Paul George, the Clippers have the ability to stagger their minutes, keeping an All-Star on the floor at all times, which is something that not all teams have the luxury of doing.

Clippers have the ability to stagger their minutes, keeping an All-Star on the floor at all times, which is something that not all teams have the luxury of doing.

Another factor that plays into the Clippers vs Lakers betting odds being in favor of the Clippers is their depth. This roster is arguably one of the deepest in the league with players like John Wall, Robert Covington and Nicolas Batum coming off the bench. Head coach Ty Lue will have a plethora of lineups to play with early in the season as he figures out what works best for his squad.

Lakers Poor Roster Construction

The Los Angeles Lakers had a tough first outing on a multitude of different levels. For starters, Lakers player’s injuries are already starting to pile up. Backup point guard Dennis Schröder will miss three to four weeks after undergoing surgery on his thumb.

Big man Thomas Bryant also underwent surgery on his sprained left thumb and will be re-evaluated in the next few weeks. There was also concern going into the opener that Russell Westbrook might not be available with a hamstring injury.

For a team that has a number of players with a history of injuries – we’re looking at you Anthony Davis – this is not an ideal start for a team that finished 11th in the NBA conference standings last season.

Their roster construction is also something that looks to be a problem going forward. LeBron James went as far as to call that out in his postgame press conference on Tuesday night. His comments were targeted toward the team’s lack of shot makers, which was a major area for concern against the Warriors.

The team shot 25% from 3-point land on 10-40 shooting. James, Westbrook and Davis combined to shoot 29-59 from the field, good for 49%. Meanwhile, the rest of the team shot 11-34 for 32%. It’s going to be hard to win games with the lack of production outside of the Lakers Big Three.

When you put those numbers up against one of the top defensive teams in the league in the Clippers, it’s no doubt that the Clippers vs Lakers betting odds should be in favor of Lue’s team.

For NBA betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.

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