Washington Wizards vs Los Angeles Lakers 02/22/2021 NBA Odds, Preview and Prediction

The Washington Wizards hit the road and travel to Tinseltown to take on the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on Monday night.

Washington has found a rhythm as they have won four straight games and they are 6-4 in their last 10 games after losing their first five games of the year. Meanwhile, the Lakers are struggling to find their form with Anthony Davis out with tendinosis. Los Angeles had dropped three out of its last four games and have lost back-to-back games, both at Staples Center.

Washington Wizards

The Washington Wizards are currently in the bottom of the Southeast Division team standings with a 10-17 record. Despite that, they are just 2.5 games behind the 8th seeded New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference team standings. The Wizards have won four straight games, their longest winning streak since 2018. They will be looking to take advantage of a Lakers team that will be without Anthony Davis and Dennis Schroder.

In their last game, the Wizards defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 118-111 in Portland. Russell Westbrook posted his 8th triple double of the season with 27 points, 13 assists, and 11 rebounds. Bradley Beal paced Washington with 37 points while Rui Hachimura added 17 and Robin Lopez having a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Washington ranks 11th in the league in scoring at 114.0 points per game. They are 11th in rebounding at 44.8 board grabbed per contest and are 15th in passing at 24.9 assists per game. The Wizards are next to last in scoring defense, allowing 119.1 points per game this season.

Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers are 22-9 on the season and they are tied with their cross-town rival Clippers for the best record in the Pacific Division. The defending NBA champions currently sit 3rd in the West but are just 2.5 games behind the leaders Utah Jazz. The Lakers have lost three out of their last four games and have dropped back-to-back assignments against the Nets and Heat, both at Staples Center.

In their last game, the defending champions nearly stole the game from the Heat as LeBron James stole the ball on Miami’s final play. However, James decided to pass to Alex Caruso who missed the three-pointer to win the game. James finished with 19 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists in a great all-around game but he will have to be more aggressive without AD and Schroder. Kyle Kuzma led the Lakers with 23 points while Montrezl Harrell added 18 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.

Los Angeles ranks 18th in scoring at 111.8 points per game. They are 8th in rebounding at 45.2 boards grabbed per contest and are 16th in passing at 24.8 assists per game. The Lakers own the league’s 2nd best scoring defense and are allowing their opponents to score only 105.5 points per game this season.

Who Wins?

The Wizards are 4-1 SU in their last five games played. Washington is 3-2 SU in their last five games played on the road, and 7-13 SU in their last 20 games against the Western Conference. The Lakers are 8-3 SU in their last 11 games played. Los Angeles is 5-2 SU in their last seven games played at home, 14-4 SU in their last 18 games against the Southeast Division, and 14-4 SU in their last 18 February games. Head to head, the Wizards are 6-4 SU in their last 10 games played against the Lakers but Los Angeles has won two out of their last three meetings.

Washington has won four in a row and suddenly, they are just 2.5 games off 8th place in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Bradley Beal continues to torch the nets while Russell Westbrook has started delivering big games. With their two All-Star players finding their rhythm, this Washington team is tough to contain.

No doubt that LeBron James will be looking to do more than his disappearing act in the second half against the Heat. Despite that, the Lakers still had a chance to win the game in the final play. It’s just that Caruso missed. Los Angeles still has a much deeper team, and they are deeper by a mile. This looks like the perfect opportunity to get back in the win column for the champs.

Prediction: Los Angeles Lakers

Other Bets To Make

Washington is 4-1 ATS in their last five games played. The Wizards are 3-2 ATS in their last five games played on the road, 10-2 ATS in their last 12 Monday games, and 5-1 ATS in their last six games played against opponents with a winning SU record. Los Angeles is 2-6 ATS in their last eight games played. The Lakers are 1-5 ATS in their last six games as a home favorite, 1-4 ATS in their last five Monday games, and 1-5 ATS in their last six games against opponents with a losing SU record. Head to head, the Lakers are 6-4 ATS in their last 10 games played against the Wizards.

The Lakers have not played well against the spread this season, going just 14-17 overall in their first 31 games of the campaign. Los Angeles is especially bad against the spread when at the Staples Center where they are just 5-10 ATS this season. The Wizards aren’t a team that you want to bet on because they have been so inconsistent. However, Washington has won four in a row and they are playing very well right now. With the league’s leading scorer, they can keep up with anybody. The Lakers have scored 105 or fewer points in three out of their last five games played. With AD out, this team is still trying to fill in the blanks. I think the Lakers win this game but like in previous weeks, they had close games against bad teams. This one should be another one.

Prediction: Wizards +6.5

The total has gone under in seven out of the last 10 games played by the Wizards. The under is 5-0 in their last five games played on the road. Washington has seen the total go under in six out of their last eight games as the betting underdog. The total has gone under in 20 out of the last 29 games played by the Lakers. The under is also 5-0 in their last five games after an SU loss, 6-1 in their last seven games against an opponent with a winning percentage of below .400. Head to head, the total has gone under in four out of the last five meetings between these two teams. The under is also 5-1 in their last six meetings in Washington.

Four out of Los Angeles’ last five games have yielded a total of 220 or fewer. The reason is AD’s absence. In their last two games, the Lakers have failed to score 100 points because they’re also without Dennis Schroder. Three out of Washington’s four wins during their current streak were high-scoring games. However, given how good the Lakers defense is still even without AD, this should be a low scoring game, which favors Los Angeles.

Prediction: Under 225.5

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