The NBA is inching towards less than a month away from returning. SI Gambling insider Corey Parson previews the early opening lines for the return of the NBA season. Today, he’s zoning in on the Lakers vs. Clippers.
NBA opening betting lines for the resumed season were announced on Friday.
Now that the NBA opening betting lines have been released for the league’s restart, over the next few weeks, we are going to begin breaking down these initial matchups. This is a good exercise to see how the sharp money and pubic money will ultimately change these odds.
When the season first came to a pause, we were sitting at 85-75 on the year. A lot of that success came from following the money.
In today’s breakdown, we’re taking a look at the battle for Los Angeles… in Orlando.
The Lakers and Clippers will top in the second game of the seeding round of the restart NBA season. This will not be the high-intensity game many think it will be, there could be a lot of star players playing limited minutes.
Matchup: Los Angeles vs Los Angeles Clippers
Point Spread: Lakers -1
Clippers Moneyline: +105
Lakers Moneyline: -125
Total: 218.5
Season Series: Clippers 2-1
Lakers vs. Clippers Preview
The second game of night one of the NBA bubble seeding schedule features a marquee matchup between the Los Angles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers.
Before COVID-19 brought the season to a halt, the Lakers and Clippers were on a collision course for an all L.A. Western Conference Finals showdown. That could still happen, but this seeding round game is nothing more than a glorified exhibition.
The Lakers and the Clippers are likely locked into their respective seeds. The Lakers have a 5.5 games lead over the Clippers for the top seed in the west, while the Clippers have a slight lead over the Denver Nuggets for the second seed. I don't see a situation where these two teams play this game with the playoff intensity that’s normally expected.
This game opened up as a pick'em, and as usual, the public jumped behind the Lakers, pushing them to -1.
Yet on sites like FanDuel Sportsbook, when the line moved again, the Lakers were a one-point underdog. That reverse steam shows that the sharp money will be on the Clippers.
The Clippers have a 2-1 lead in the season series, but Lakers Insider Melissa Rohlin breaks down what happened in their latest matchup:
“The Lakers played their hallway rivals on March 8 -- three days before the season was suspended because of the COVID-19 pandemic -- and won 112-103 behind a 28-point,seven-rebound and nine-assist performance from LeBron James.”
That was a big-time win for the Lakers, but this game won't have that kind of intensity. I would trust the smart money and take the Clippers in this game.