Lakers vs Clippers Prediction: Visitors to take first LA clash of the campaign

The first Battle of LA is scheduled for 2am on Thursday and it promises to be a classic with plenty of storylines likely to unfold.

With no home court advantage due to both sides playing at the Crypto.com Arena, the ties between the Lakers and Clippers tend to be tight affairs decided by individual brilliance, and there are plenty of players who could fit that bill on either side.

Anthony Davis is the most likely to dominate for the Lakers, having scored an average of 25.8 points in his opening four games, while Clippers star Paul George has performed even better through the first quartet of matches, averaging 27.2 points per game.

However, if making his Clippers debut new signing James Harden could prove to be the difference maker in LA on Thursday morning.

Match Odds

The Lakers are priced at 3/8 to take this tie, with the Clippers at 21/10.

The total points line is set at 226.5, with 10/11 available for both over and under that amount - two of the last three Battles of LA have seen over 240 points.

Team News

The hosts have a near full squad available, with the only doubts surrounding Rui Hachimura and Cam Reddish, who are both game time decisions.

The Clippers look set to be without young guards Brandon Boston Jr and Terance Mann through injury, while decisions will be made on new arrivals James Harden and PJ Tucker closer to the tip-off.

Money Line - LA Clippers @ 21/10

The market has the Lakers priced as favourites for this match-up, which is somewhat understandable given their recent run of eight wins from ten matches against teams with a winning record in the regular season.

However, both history and current form suggest this Battle of LA will fall the way of their less-fancied rivals.

The Clippers have won their last 11 fixtures against the Lakers and have a superior record at the start of this campaign, winning three of their opening four in contrast to their hosts’ two wins to start the season.

Perhaps most impressive is the fact that Ty Lue’s side have found that form without Kawhi Leonard hitting his best yet, as he has only averaged 19.3 points per game so far, meaning Paul George has been their primary outlet.

However, Leonard has still been as effective as ever on the defensive end of the court, and he will be key in limiting the effectiveness of the Lakers’ LeBron James.

James, now in his twentieth season in the NBA, has started the campaign well enough, averaging 22 points, 8.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game so far, but his 4.5 turnovers per game are a worry and could lead to the Clippers having plenty of chances to score.

And should Ty Lue have Harden available alongside his star duo, his side should capitalise on that and have more than enough firepower to see off their rivals on Thursday.