Wizards vs. Lakers Prediction & Odds
The third-place Wizards travel to Los Angeles to face the last-place Lakers Sunday night at 9:30 PM ET. Can the Wizards cover the 4.5-point spread as road underdogs?
The Washington Wizards are 11-19 on the season. They are 1-9 in their last 10 games. The Wizards are 10-17-3 ATS on the year.
The Los Angeles Lakers are 12-16 on the season. They’re 5-5 in their last 10 games. The Lakers are 12-16 ATS on the year.
Game Matchup & Betting Odds
575 Washington Wizards (+4.5) at 576 Los Angeles Lakers (-4.5); O/U 230.5
9:30 PM ET, Sunday, December 18, 2022
Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
Wizards vs. Lakers Public Betting Information
Our NBA Public Betting Information page indicates that 73% of public bettors are currently backing the Lakers -4.5 in this contest. Note that these numbers are subject to change, so be sure to check the link to receive the most up-to-date public betting data.
Washington Wizards DFS Spin
The Wizards will be without 2 of their top 4 scorers on Sunday night. Star guard Bradley Beal missed last night’s game with a hamstring injury and he’s expected to miss Sunday’s contest as well. Fourth-year forward Rui Hachimura will also miss Sunday’s game. He’s dealing with a bone bruise on his right ankle.
With Beal and Hachimura out, Washington center Kristaps Porzingis will likely take on more of the scoring load. The 7’3” Latvian national is the Wizards’ second-leading scorer at 22.6 points per game. He’s also contributing on the glass as he’s bringing down a team-high 8.9 rebounds per game.
Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma might get some more shots on Sunday as well. Kuzma has been a pleasant surprise for Washington this season, averaging 21.4 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game while shooting 46.2% from the field. Porzingis and Kuzma were Washington’s two leading scorers in L.A. on Saturday night against the Clippers and they have a good chance of leading the club in scoring again on Sunday night.
Los Angeles Lakers DFS Spin
Lakers star power forward Anthony Davis left Friday’s game against Denver with a foot injury and he’ll miss Sunday’s game against the Wizards as he’s still being evaluated. This is a big blow to the Lakers as Davis is the team’s leading scorer (27.4 points per game), rebounder (12.1 rebounds per game), and shot blocker (2.1 blocks per game). Others will have to step up to replace his production.
It’s year 20 for Lakers superstar LeBron James, and he continues to be consistently great. James is averaging 26.7 points per game while shooting a respectable 48.3% from the field. He’s recording his share of counting stats as well, as James is averaging 8.6 rebounds per game and 6.3 assists per game on the campaign. LeBron James will likely shoulder a heavy load on offense for the Lakers, making him an attractive DFS play on Sunday.
Wizards vs. Lakers NBA Betting Trends
Washington is 6-11-1 ATS following an outright loss this year.
Washington is 4-7-2 ATS as a road underdog this season.
Los Angeles is 5-3 ATS as a favorite this year.
Los Angeles is 6-4 ATS with the rest advantage over their opponent this season.
Wizards vs. Lakers NBA Prediction
This game will feature missing stars from each team. Bradley Beal will sit for the Wizards and Anthony Davis will sit for the Lakers. The chief difference is that L.A.’s second best player is LeBron James, while Washington’s second-best player is Kristaps Porzingis. There is really no comparison there. There’s also the fact that Washington will be playing their second game in Crypto.com Arena in a little over 24 hours on Sunday night. The Wizards lost to the L.A. Clippers on Saturday night 102-93 in a game in which Paul George didn’t even play. There’s also the fact that Washington has lost 9 games in a row, the longest winning or losing streak in the league. I think LeBron James puts it on cruise control, gets his numbers, and leads the Lakers to a fairly easy spread-covering win.
NBA BETTING PREDICTION: LOS ANGELES LAKERS -4.5
