The NBA will center on the West Coast Wednesday night as the Los Angeles Clippers take on the Los Angeles Lakers. The game is scheduled for a 10:30 p.m. start time and it will be televised nationally on ESPN. Currently the odds have the Clippers favored by 3 points with the total sitting at 188 points.
Free Analysis: The Lakers and Clippers take each other on Wednesday night in West Coast action. The game will be played at Staples Center in LA, obviously, which probably has to benefit both squads. The Lakers started the season off playing atrocious basketball on the road and haven't really figured out how to win away from home this season. The Clippers aren't any different. The two squads have combined this season to go 23-28 away from LA this year. However, at Staples Center, the two clubs have played very well. The Lakers are 23-5 at home this season while the Clippers sport a 20-8 record at home. The Lakers are atop the Pacific Division, but the Los Angeles Clippers are surging behind their longest winning streak in two decades. And, with a win tonight by the Clippers, they'll have won the season series of Los Angeles for the first time in 19 years on Wednesday night. The Clippers trail the Lakers by 1.5 games, but the Lakers have won 11 of 15 games. The Clippers have also won six games in a row for their longest streak since March 18-31, 1992. The city rivals have split two meetings this season with each winning at home, including the Clippers' 102-94 victory on Jan. 14. The Lakers won the second game of the series 96-91 on Jan. 25. In looking at the Clippers from a great team's perspective it appears they are trying to make a statement, beating up on the Dallas Mavericks 94-75 on Monday. Clips guard Randy Foye has been huge for the squad lately, averaging 21.7 points the last three games after scoring a season-high 28 against the Mavericks. Foye has been able to give the Clippers another scorer on the field while Blake Griffin and Chris Paul are the focal point of most teams defensively. Foye has been averaging just over 10 points per game this season. In the matchups with the Lakers, Griffin has been tough to stop, with 48 total points and 23 rebounds in the two games. Paul scored 33 in the Jan. 14 win, but struggled in the second game of the matchup. The Lakers struggled in the second half against the New Jersey Nets, but got a triple by Kobe Bryant with 6.8 seconds left to win 91-87. Kobe leads the league in scoring at 28 points per contest and has scored a combined 66 points against the Clippers in the two games to date. He ran up 42 in the Jan. 14 game, which was a loss. In the last four matchups where the Lakers are considered to be the road team, Kobe has lit it up for 31.5 points per game. Andrew Bynum is averaging 17.9 points and a team-best 11.9 rebounds this season, but was suspended for the Nets game. If he plays tonight, the Lakers will obviously have an advantage.
Free Pick: I like the OVER in this contest and the Lakers getting the points. The two clubs have played some pretty decent games this season and they've been pretty close in both matchups. I think this is a game that will have a lot of points scored. Kobe and the Lakers haven't lost a season series to the Clippers in 19 years and I'd have to believe they don't want it to happen this year. I like the matchup going on with Pau Gasol and Griffin tonight. If Paul is able to dominate in the open floor for the Clippers, it'll be tough for the Lakers, but this is a game that shows why they went out and got Ramon Sessions. Give me the Lakers and the over.
Free Picks: Lakers at Clippers Betting
Battle for Los Angeles continues on and Expect Playoff atmosphere at Staples Center plus other factors NBA bettors need to know about Lakers at Clippers (Wednesday, April 4, 2012) from Pregame.com - Including predictions from Stephen Nover and analysis from host Marco D'Angelo.