Los Angeles Lakers vs Brooklyn Nets Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 23/12/2021, 20:12  by Joseph King | Modified on 24/12/2021 at 02:14 in NBA Predictions

The Brooklyn Nets head out west to Hollywood to take on the LA Lakers in the penultimate NBA Christmas day game. The Nets sit atop the Eastern Conference with a 21-9 record and will be looking to heap further misery on the 16-17 Lakers who have had a disaster of a season so far. The Lakers will be desperate, coming into this match on a four game losing streak that has seen them slip down to sixth in the West standings. They should be encouraged by the news that Nets superstar and current leading scorer in the league, Kevin Durant, is looking unlikely to play in this one. Of course, given the current state of the league and the rules they have in regards to COVID, that is subject to change - but head coach Steve Nash did say it was unlikely that KD would take the floor. Luckily for the Nets, James Harden did clear protocols and will play in this one.

With the injury to Anthony Davis the Lakers have really been struggling to find a consistent third scorer. LeBron James and Russell Westbrook are still putting up good numbers, but there are games in which they will each score 30 points and no other player will get into double digits. This is an old, top-heavy Lakers team and doesn't have great depth. The Nets are in even worse shape at the moment. Harden is a superstar but his supporting cast for this game will be a bunch of role players and Development League players - that’s how bad the situation has gotten for Brooklyn. In fact, the Nets were hit so hard by COVID that they had postponed Brooklyn's last three games.