Lakers News: How Does Vegas Feel About LA-Memphis Game Sans Two Headliners?
Tonight at Crypto.com Arena, your Los Angeles Lakers play host to a Memphis Grizzlies team that has gone from the league's young upstart darlings to out-and-out villains to now, something a bit more depressing in-between, all in the space of the 2022-23 NBA season thus far.
For Memphis, troubled young All-Star point guard Ja Morant is out. One of the league's most intimidating paint presences, Steven Adams, is out, as is his sometime-understudy Brandon Clarke (generally more of a backup four, but he can also play some small-ball center).
The Lakers are missing LeBron James, Mo Bamba, and probably D'Angelo Russell, though it seems Anthony Davis is more likely than not to play.
So how do the oddsmakers in Vegas feel about all this? Let's dig in, via some numbers from The Action Network.
The Game Spread
The 38-25 Grizzlies are favored by one point to best the 31-34 Lakers, despite being on the road for the matchup. That's fair, given that both teams are without major pieces, but Memphis remains the more physical club with plenty of high-quality healthy perimeter options like Desmond Bane and proud league-wide irritant Dillon Brooks. If Anthony Davis can finish the game without getting hurt, I like LA's chances. Take LA to beat the spread.
Anthony Davis's Combined Points + Rebounds
The Lakers' best available player is expected to log 42.5 combined points and rebounds. In the three games he's played since James went down, Davis has averaged 35 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. Take the over.
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