Preview and Picks Before Tipoff

Highlights

Lakers are expected to dominate struggling Wizards, led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Focus on creating early divide, potentially resting players for upcoming conference finals rematch with Nuggets.
Lakers heavily favored, with best bets on Lakers covering the spread and Tyus Jones scoring over 11.5 points.

On the heels of their best result of the season, the Los Angeles Lakers will look to keep it going against the nine-win Washington Wizards. Fatigue could be a slight issue for Los Angeles, though the starting five of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell, and Rui Hachimura is expected to remain intact. The second night of a back-to-back, it’s key for the Lakers to avoid a letdown versus a team that has struggled all season long.

Losers of 12 straight games, Washington is essentially already focused on the offseason at this point. They are the worst defensive team in the league (the Wizards surrender 124.2 points per game) and have a roster full of players trying to prove themselves. In addition, Washington could be without up-and-coming forward, Deni Avdija, who is nursing a heel injury.

It’s a perfect opportunity for the Lakers to jump out on them early and blow the game open. James played the entire fourth quarter of last night’s game, so look for Davis to lead the charge in a favorable matchup, likely featuring an initial defender in Marvin Bagley III. Reaves and Hachimura, who spent the first three-plus seasons of his career in Washington before being traded to the Lakers, are also names worth monitoring for big nights.

Los Angeles won the two recent meetings in the series, but this time, it’s more about creating an early divide so head coach Darvin Ham can potentially rest some players before the team’s Western Conference Finals rematch with the Denver Nuggets on Saturday. It’s not a complete lock that the Lakers will steamroll to victory, but a blowout win would provide at least a bit more optimism that the team has truly turned a corner heading into the final stretch of the regular season.

Injury report and how to watch

Lakers are down three rotation players, Coulibaly is out for Washington

Lakers

• Christian Wood (OUT – Left knee swelling)

• Jarred Vanderbilt (OUT – Right mid-foot sprain)

• Gabe Vincent (OUT – Left knee surgery)

Wizards

• Deni Avdija (QUESTIONABLE – Heel)

• Bilal Coulibaly (OUT – Right pelvis contusion)

• Isaiah Livers (OUT – Hip inflammation)

How to watch

• 10:30 p.m. ET, Spectrum Sportsnet, League Pass, Monumental Sports Network

Betting Lines

Lakers are heavily favored vs. Wizards

Point Spread: Lakers -9.5 (-108)/Wizards +9.5 (-112)
Moneyline: Lakers -410/Wizards +320
Over/Under: 243

Our best picks

Back the Lakers to cover the spread

Spread: Lakers -9.5 (-108)

On some nights, the young Wizards play with an edge despite being at a disadvantage from a talent standpoint. Usually, though, they fall victim to blitzes from high-powered offenses and fail to recover. The message in the Lakers locker room will surely be to take them seriously, and if that message hits home, it could mean this game gets out of hand by the time the fourth quarter hits.

Bet on the Lakers to get out to a nice advantage by halftime and eventually cover.

Player Points: Tyus Jones OVER 11.5 points (-110)

Tyus Jones is one of the NBA’s most underrated point guards – he’s a steady playmaker who rarely forces the issue too much. With Jordan Poole in his newfound role off the bench, Jones has an avenue to be more aggressive looking for his own shots. Expect him to reach at least 12 points against the Lakers, especially if Avdija is unable to suit up.

Parlay: Kyle Kuzma 18+ points, Wizards OVER 116.5 points, Lakers 1st-quarter MONEYLINE (+258)

It’s safe to believe Kyle Kuzma will come out firing on all cylinders during his return to Los Angeles. Even though efficiency could be a concern, he’s poised for a solid outing in the scoring column. If the Lakers are fully focused, they will get out to an early lead, which leaves Washington playing catch-up the rest of the night.

Judging by Washington’s poor team defense this season, it’s possible the Wizards will reach their scoring mark but still lose by a double-digit margin.

All odds courtesy of DraftKings.