Los Angeles Lakers vs LA Clippers Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 01/11/2023, 09:26  by Joseph King | Modified on 01/11/2023 at 09:48 in NBA Predictions

The first ‘Battle of LA’ in the 2023/24 season is set to tip off on Wednesday as the Los Angeles Lakers take on the LA Clippers at the Crypto.com Arena. Fresh off of the acquisition of James Harden from the 76ers, the now top-five title favorite Clippers will look to earn the first bragging rights of the season over their city rivals. It still might be too soon for Harden to suit up for his new team, although the former MVP’s debut certainly hasn’t been ruled out. The Clippers come into this matchup off the back of a comfortable 118-102 home win over the Orlando Magic last night. The win has Ty Lue’s team sitting at a record of 3-1 on the year and puts them fourth in the Western Conference in the early days of the season. The Clippers will be seeking an incredible 12th consecutive victory over the Lakers.

The Lakers have experienced a mixed start to the new season as they sit ninth in the conference standings with a 2-2 record. However, they haven’t had the easiest of schedules up to this point, facing off against the Nuggets, Suns and Kings in their first four games. The Lakers dropped the season opener to the defending champions and a close overtime loss to the Kings. However, they were able to limit the Suns to just 95 points in a 100-95 victory. The Lakers’ most recent contest was a gritty 106-103 home win over the Orlando Magic on Monday. They have the rest advantage as they seek consecutive wins for the first time this season.