Lakers vs Nets

NBA odds, picks, and predictions for the Los Angeles Lakers at Brooklyn Nets on January 30. NBA betting best bet and free pick analysis.

That Lakers' transition attack depends in part on LeBron’s ability to rebound and dial-up hit-ahead pass opportunities. Claxton by himself should prove a strong deterrent to the smaller Lakers guards with his combination of dexterity and shot-blocking. But how much of that can reasonably be expected to continue without either LeBron or Davis? What can be relied on however is the Lakers' offensive ineptitude. With the two-headed dragon of LeBron and AD sitting, Russell Westbrook will presumably be given the keys, and new addition Rui Hachimura should have all he can eat. Brooklyn is just 1-5 ATS in their last six games against teams with a losing record. But they’re still not quite desperate enough to risk playing LeBron and AD in a back-to-back situation — which is why they’re both sitting on Monday ahead of a game against the New York Knicks on Tuesday. His size, mobility, and ability to defend the perimeter as well as offer rim protection, has been central to Brooklyn’s success on that end. Claxton has cemented his case for an All-Defensive spot, but the Nets have slipped some in the defensive rankings recently. It’s obvious, but the Lakers without either LeBron or AD barely resemble an NBA team. And while the Lakers are built to run, the Nets play at one of the slower paces in the NBA. While Durant is first and foremost an MVP-caliber offensive fulcrum, his defensive play this season has been inspired.

Austin Wing previews Monday's NBA game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets, including a betting prediction.

The content on this page is for informational purposes only. I anticipate the Lakers will play with some fire after their controversial game against the Celtics. We may be compensated for the links provided on this page. The Nets are in a lookahead spot as they face the division rival Celtics on Wednesday. To add to that theory, the Nets are primed for a let-down in a game sandwiched between two divisional contests. I make this line Nets -6 and see some value on the underdog here. The Lakers are coming off a controversial overtime loss to the Celtics on Saturday night. I don’t think this hefty line is justified — especially without Durant in the lineup. The Lakers are second in the league in points in the paint, but I don’t expect them to have much success in that area with Claxton protecting the paint. Digging even further, the Lakers are 0-5 SU and 0-4-1 ATS without James on the road. Kevin Durant is still on the injured list with a sprained MCL, but the good news is he will begin participating in on-court activities this week. Nonetheless, the Lakers will still need to perform without their superstars.

We go over some of the best betting options for Monday's matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets.

That would be a reason to take the over but this is a big number and the under has cashed much more for the Nets this season. There’s a number of reasons the under should hit in this matchup. If that is the case, the Lakers are just outmatched. With James and Davis out, it is hard to see the Lakers competing in this matchup. Simmons could play in this game for the Nets. For the Nets, Ben Simmons is questionable with a knee injury and T.J.