Los Angeles Lakers vs. Los Angeles Clippers Prediction & Best Bets (Thursday, January 22nd, 2026)
The Battle of L.A. commences on Thursday night, as the Los Angeles Lakers will be ever so slight underdogs when they face the Los Angeles Clippers at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, CA.
Luka Doncic and co. will be seeking their third straight win as they try to keep pace with the Houston Rockets. Currently residing in the 5th seed in the Western Conference, L.A. is holding onto first place in the Pacific Division and still have a shot at the 2nd overall seed for the NBA playoffs.
Los Angeles is technically on the road for this matchup, but they don’t have to travel far. The Clippers are also just 11-9 on their home floor, although they’ve definitely turned their season around after an ugly start.
The Lakers will once again be without Austin Reaves, and it’s unknown if Kawhi Leonard will be able to return for the Clippers. If he can, it could give the Clippers the boost they need to have the edge in this matchup.
Wondering how to bet on this game? Let’s go over the latest odds and key matchup angles to see which picks are worth targeting. I’ll close things out with my top bets ranked and also deliver my Lakers vs. Clippers prediction when it comes to who I think will win.
Game Details
- Matchup: Los Angeles Lakers (26-16) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (19-24)
- Date & Time: Thursday, January 22nd, at 9:00 pm (10:00 pm ET)
- Venue: Intuit Dome in Inglewood, CA
- How to Watch: Amazon Prime Video
Early Season Performance & Trends
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers picked up where they left off last year after landing Luka Doncic in a trade that floored the NBA world. Doncic dropped some weight and has looked as good as ever while helping the Lake Show to a solid 26-16 mark.
Los Angeles has gone just 5-5 over their last 10 games, but have looked sharp lately as they downed a solid Toronto Raptors team and overcame a rough first half to get past the Denver Nuggets.
Doncic and co. run an efficient offense, but still lack a killer instinct on defense. There’s no denying they’re fun to watch and stand in as one of the best teams in the NBA, but whether they can make a run to the NBA Finals is very much in doubt.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers are even less likely to win a title this year, but you do need to tip your cap to them for trying. They lost Bradley Beal for the season and have dealt with Kawhi Leonard being in and out of the lineup. To make matters worse, they had a brutal stretch from November 3rd to December 18th, where they went an insane 3-19.
L.A. has been able to respond in absurd fashion. They first got hot and won six games, and they recently put together a second six-game winning streak. Overall, they’ve really rounded into form, going 13-3 over their last 16 contests.
A healthy Leonard has been a huge part of that, while they also just got star center Ivica Zubac back recently. It’s entirely arguable that a 100% healthy Clippers could morph into one of the better teams in the NBA, but only time will tell if they’ve simply been benefiting from a soft part of their schedule, or if this resurgence is legit.
Head‑to‑Head / Historical Context
The Lakers vs. Clippers matchup is a storied rivalry, with the Pacific Division foes duking it out over 245 regular-season matchups.
The Lake Show holds the edge by quite a bit (157-88), but the season series is split so far this year. The Clippers won the most recent game in convincing fashion, while the Lakers dropped 135 points in an easy win back in November.
The series was all Lakers last year, as they went 3-1 despite two of the games going down to the wire.
Key Matchup Breakdown
The Lakers run their offense through Luka Doncic, who puts up over 33 points per game. He can penetrate at will, and depending on what the defenses does, he can finish or find the open man.
Doncic’s style contributes to the Lakers owning the very best two-point shooting team in basketball, while they also rank 4th in effective FG percentage (56.8%). This is a team that works for good shots, gets to the line, and doesn’t launch absurd volume from deep.
L.A. can still get hot from outside, and they have their shortcomings, but their brand of basketball makes them a controlled aggressor that can lull teams to sleep or flat-out dominate them.
The Clippers run through James Harden and Kawhi Leonard, with Leonard generating over 28 points per game and Harden (26 ppg, 8 apg), both scoring and setting up the offense.
Harden has shouldered a bigger scoring load than he has in recent years due to injuries, leaving the Clippers a bit too reliant on their two superstars at times. It’s especially a concern anytime Leonard is out of the lineup.
L.A. does have a quality center in Zubac down low, while they have emerging pieces such as Jordan Miller and Kobe Sanders, as well as big man John Collins. The Clippers lack consistency and don’t always get production from their role players, however, which leads to a suspect offense that ranks 26th in scoring.
While the Clippers can be tough to trust, they get to the free-throw line at will and convert better than anyone (84.5%) in the NBA. They’re also a top-10 offense in terms of efficiency, allowing them to remain a threat despite not being a high-volume three-point offense.
Both of these teams play slower brands of basketball and thrive in half-court settings. The Clippers come in as the slowest-paced team in the entire NBA, while the Lakers rank 22nd in pace.
Defensively, neither team is meeting expectations. The Lakers rank 24th in defensive efficiency and 18th in scoring, while the Clippers rank 21st in defensive efficiency. To their credit, the Clippers have the 9th-best scoring defense, but part of that has to do with their slow pace of play.
- Luka Doncic vs. Clippers interior defense: Doncic can feast in any matchup. On paper, the Clippers have an elite on-ball defender in Kawhi and an inside force in Zubac, but the Clippers rank just 12th down low. This is not a spot we should be that concerned over Luka getting inside and working his magic.
- Kawhi/Harden vs. Lakers perimeter defense: The Lakers have Marcus Smart on hand, but this is not an elite defensive team, and they lack ball stoppers. They rank 28th in shooting efficiency on defense and allow their opponents to get to the line too much. Harden and/or Kawhi should feast.
- Free Throw Battle: The above two matchups play into perhaps the biggest one; the battle at the free throw line. Nobody converts better than the Clippers do at the freebie line, but the Lakers are better at actually getting there. The team that gets to the line more could have the edge.
The Lakers are a rock-solid 14-8 on the road this year. This isn’t much of a road game in terms of traveling, while the Clippers are just 11-9 on their home floor.
The Lakers are in OK form, as they are 5-5 over their last 10 games, but are riding a two-game winning streak. The Clippers are in better form, as they are 7-3 over their last 10 games and 13-3 over their last 16.
The Lakers have been solid (23-19) against the spread, but they are just 8-9 ATS as the underdog and 4-5 ATS inside their division. The Clippers are just 20-23 against the spread and are 8-13 ATS when favored.
Betting Odds & Market Interpretation
Check out the latest Lakers vs. Clippers betting odds at DraftKings:
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
Lakers | +1.5 (-118) | -108 | Over 222.5 (-115) |
Clippers | -1.5 (-102) | -112 | Under 222.5 (-105) |
This game is basically a pick’em. The Lakers are the mild underdogs because they’re on the road and down a key player, but the oddsmakers aren’t pricing this in a way that would immediately have you lean one way or the other.
The game total is modest. Both teams can pop off on offense, but their slow pace makes for a game that could be on the lower scoring side.
From a Bettor’s Lens
The Lakers have been the better team and have owned this series lately, so they instantly stand out as the best bet on the moneyline. Given the odds, there doesn’t seem to be much value in messing with the spread, as you get better value with the ML if you like the Lakers to win.
If you do bet on the Clippers, banking on a two-point win to get +100 makes a lot of sense.
The game total is tricky due to both teams not playing elite defense and the Clippers playing so slow. There’s good value either way, but it’s difficult to have much of a lean.
Situational Considerations
The Lakers continue to be without star guard Austin Reaves, who has already been ruled out for this game. That takes extra scoring out of the L.A. lineup, but plays into Luka’s props being more stable.
Kawhi Leonard is listed as questionable to suit up. He’s been missing time lately with a knee bruise, and it is unclear if he’ll be able to play in this game.
Best Bets & Confidence Levels
| Bet | Rationale | Confidence Level |
|---|---|---|
Lakers ML (-108) | The Lakers aren’t really on the road, and they’re the better team in this matchup. Luka gives them a fair shot to beat anyone, while the possibility of Kawhi Leonard missing this game only boosts their chances. | 7/10 |
Prop Play – Luka Doncic Over 30+ Points (-177) | Austin Reaves remains out, so Luka needs to shoulder a lot of the scoring. The slow pace could be a problem, but his volume and efficiency negate that. He’s averaging 33.5 points per game on the year and has topped 30+ points in 6 of his last 9 games/ | 8/10 |
Under 222.5 (-105) | The Clippers and Lakers both play pretty slow basketball. This total feels a little tricky, but I think pace plays a big factor in delivering the Under. | 6/10 |
As Lakers vs. Clippers odds continue to move, betting value can change quickly — follow line movement, compare prices across books, and secure strong numbers ahead of tip-off at our trusted sportsbooks.
Final Score Prediction & Closing Thoughts
Final Score Prediction: Los Angeles Lakers 112, Los Angeles Clippers 110
The main Lakers vs. Clippers prediction to center your bets around is easily that I’m taking the Lake Show to win. This isn’t much of a “road” game, and the Lakers have been the better team all year.
The Lakers are missing a key player, but the Clippers have their own injuries they’ve been dealing with. We don’t know if Kawhi Leonard will be on hand for this one, of course. I like the Lakers either way, but without him, they’d be a stone-cold lock.
The other standout Lakers vs. Clippers pick is Luka to get 30+ points. You can opt to be more ambitious and target 33+ at -112 at DraftKings, but I think -177 is fine enough for a bet I think is very likely to hit. It’s a solid bet to toss on a small parlay, but getting that below -200 feels like a mild steal.
Overall, the Lakers will want the upper hand in this season series, and there’s always bad blood between these two sides. Look for Luka and co. to be dialed in and get the win to move to 2-1 against the Clippers on the year.
