Lakers vs. Nets NBA Picks: How to Bet Los Angeles’ Visit to Brooklyn (Archive)
The Los Angeles Lakers head to Brooklyn to take on the Nets. Two teams with plenty of star power face off in a nationally televised showdown. Which team is the right NBA pick? Let’s go ahead and take a look at the NBA odds.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Brooklyn Nets
Tuesday, January 25, 2022 – 7:30 PM EST at Barclays Center
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are hoping that tonight will be the return of star Anthony Davis. Davis has missed the last 17 games with a sprained left knee ligament. Davis will be a game-time decision for tonight's game in Brooklyn.
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The Lakers have struggled, especially on the defensive end but Anthony Davis can fix all that when he returns. I believe a lot of the lamentations of Lakers fans will be assuaged when Davis is back in the lineup. Davis’ defensive ability means that much to the team.
Even at 37 years old LeBron James is putting on performances of a man in his prime. LeBron James has had 17 consecutive games with 26 points and 11 rebounds. This is no coincidence that James' impressive trend started the day that Davis was ruled out of the lineup.
Without Davis, the Lakers have slumped in the standings. They are now 23-24, in 8th place in the West. This is LeBron James first losing record after 47 games since he was a rookie. There's controversy around the Lakers' addition of Russell Westbrook and he is taking much of the blame for the team's slump.
Some Lakers fans think the criticism is unfair but most fans are not excited about the team with Westbrook at point guard. The past two seasons when he was on a new team, it took him until about this time of the year to get fully comfortable with his new teammates.
The Lakers and their fans hope that Westbrook's acclimation period is over, and he is ready to up his level of play. This is key for the Lakers to get back to being a winning team. The Lakers' path will get no easier tonight going against the star-studded Brooklyn Nets.
Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets' dream of having a big three have been dashed by injuries and COVID-19 vaccination policies. Brooklyn and San Francisco are two municipalities that will not allow local players to play in games unvaccinated, even though visiting players are allowed to play.
This policy has wreaked havoc on the Brooklyn Nets. Kyrie Irving has not taken the vaccine so he is missing all of the home games. Tonight is a home game, so it will be James Harden by himself leading the way. Harden will be the only superstar on the floor since Kevin Durant is still out with a knee injury.
Harden has been good this season, but nowhere near the MVP-caliber form that he displayed in Houston. Harden will have a chance to work himself back into a groove. He will be the primary ball-handler and the focal point of the offense at home with Irving out and Durant still injured. The Nets will need Harden to return to his MVP level of play if they want to have a chance to win the championship this season.
The Nets are 29-17 but only 12-11 at home this year. The Nets are 5-5 in the last 10 games. The Nets have a point differential of +2.4 this season. This is quite low for a team that was expected to dominate the East.
Key Matchup
Avery Bradley vs. James Harden
Avery Bradley is an underrated part of this Lakers team. Bradley may not be much of a scorer, and might not put much in the box score, but the team is reliant on his ability to defend on the perimeter. Bradley is an excellent defender.
If he can consistently give Harden trouble, the Brooklyn offense will be quite listless and ineffective. If Harden is able to have a big night, the Brooklyn Nets could be able to overcome the loss of their other two stars. Avery Bradley's ability to defend James Harden will be key to the outcome of this game.
Best Bet
I like the Nets at home getting points in this one. I'm not sure how effective Davis will be in his first game back, and the Nets offense will be streamlined through Harden. The Lakers have not been great on the road this season. This should be a statement game for Brooklyn. Today's best bet is the Brooklyn Nets +2.5 (-110).
NBA Pick: Nets +2.5 (-110) with Bovada (visit our Bovada Review)
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