All Lakers Expert Predictions For Wednesday Night's Battle Of LA

Party at Crypto.com Arena tonight.

Your completely revamped 41-38 Los Angeles Lakers will square off against Russell Westbrook's 41-38 Los Angeles Clippers tonight at Crypto.com Arena. It's technically a "home" game for the Clips but we all know which fanbase will turn out in droves.

The Clippers will be missing at least All-Star forward Paul George, plus potentially returning shooting guard Eric Gordon (and Marcus Morris, but he's more or less out of the rotation). It seems entirely possible that any of D'Angelo Russell, LeBron James and Anthony Davis could be out too, though, uh, Mo Bamba might return.

So what should fans expect tonight? Let's dive in with some predictions.

What is the key to stopping the Clippers?

Future Hall of Fame forward Kawhi Leonard has really rounded into form after starting a step slow this season while returning from his ACL tear. It will be critical for LA's best non-Anthony Davis defenders, Jarred Vanderbilt and Austin Reaves, to do what they can to limit Leonard. A sprinkling of Malik Beasley, who offers length and athleticism, could blunt Leonard's impact too, at least a little

Will Dennis Schröder or Russell Westbrook post a better plus-minus?

This seems like a pretty granular little note, but I'm convinced that Schröder, who won the Lakers' starting gig over Westbrook at the start of the 2022-23 season and will probably play big minutes tonight with or without the ailing D'Angelo Russell, is just a better player than Russell Westbrook right now. Westbrook may still post bigger numbers with an outsized role and a penchant for ball hogging, but pay attention to the plus-minus metric each guy finishes with, perhaps a more representative look at who has the more positive impact on the floor. I'm predicting Schroder wins this stat tonight.

Which LA team will win?

The Lakers have gone 7-1 in their last eight games, while the Clippers conversely went a mere 4-4. However, the Clippers still have four of their five starters available, while it seems quite likely that the Lakers will rest one or both of their premium two players, Anthony Davis and LeBron James, after both played 38+ minutes just last night in LA's much-needed 135-133 win over the Utah Jazz's scrubs. 

D'Angelo Russell missed the action with a sore left foot, and Darvin Ham seemed to suggest that possibly all three could miss tonight's battle. The Clippers also haven't played since Saturday, so they boast a significant rest advantage over LA, who have played twice since Saturday. With all that Lakers starting lineup uncertainty plus the Clippers' big rest advantage, I think the Clippers, three-point favorites in Vegas, should win tonight.

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