Washington Wizards @ Los Angeles Lakers - January 21, 2025

So here we are, staring down another showdown in the NBA, and it’s hard not to get a bit giddy about what’s in store for us with the Washington Wizards facing off against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. The oddsmakers have set the Lakers as hefty -14.5-point favorites, which tells you all you need to know about their expectations for this matchup.

First off, let’s talk about the Wizards. They’ve hit rock bottom with a staggering 10-game losing streak and carry a miserable 6-35 record overall. Their last outing was a brutal 123-100 loss against the Kings, where they failed to cover an outrageous +17.5 spread. This team has been in free fall; they can’t seem to find any rhythm on offense, averaging just 108.8 points per game on a meager shooting percentage of 44.4%. With defensive woes as well—allowing opponents too many easy baskets and committing over 20 fouls per game—it’s hard to see how they pull themselves out of this tailspin.

On the other side, we’ve got the Lakers looking to bounce back after their own disappointing performance—a 116-102 loss to the Clippers that saw them fail to cover despite being underdogs. With a record of 22-18, they’re certainly better positioned than Washington but have also stumbled lately with only one cover in their last five games.

Now when you break down the numbers, Los Angeles is putting up about 111 points per game on nearly 47% shooting from the field. They’ve struggled from three-point range at just over 35%, but their free throw shooting is solid at nearly 79%. So while they’ve had their problems lately (2-4 SU in their last six), they still pack more firepower than Washington can muster right now.

Defensively is where I think we’ll see some clear advantages for LA as well. They average close to 41 total rebounds and manage seven steals per game, although turnovers remain an issue with over 13 per game as well—that’s something they’ll need to tighten up if they want any hope of covering that massive spread tonight.

Given how poorly Washington has played recently and how they’re struggling both offensively and defensively, I predict that Los Angeles will not only win but will also cover that spread comfortably. That said, I’m leaning towards expecting this one to go under on the total score set at 233 since both teams have shown tendencies toward lower-scoring affairs lately—especially considering how bad Washington’s offense has been.

In summary: Lakers win by double digits and cover -14.5; expect an under finish tonight as both teams struggle to put points on the board consistently. It should be an interesting night; let’s see if my lucky betting ritual holds true!