Nets Favorites to Humble Lakers in Prime-Time Affair
With LeBron James and Anthony Davis out – and Kevin Durant back – the Brooklyn Nets (36-16) are heavy favorites to take down the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers (32-20) on Saturday.
With Durant back, the Nets are looking to cement their status as the top team in the Eastern Conference. Brooklyn is currently in first place, one game ahead of Philadelphia and four in front of Milwaukee.
With James and Davis out of the lineup, the Lakers are trying to hold on to fifth place out West with Portland 1.5 games back and Dallas 2.5 games behind LA.
Let’s find out if Brooklyn can cover as a double-digit home favorite when the two favorites to reach the 2021 NBA Finals meet at Barclays Center.
The NBA Odds for this clash of elite NBA title contenders and all seven Saturday matchups, are live in the BetUS Online Sportsbook right now.
Lakers vs Nets Betting Analysis
- When: Saturday, April 10, 2021, at 8:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
- TV: ABC
- Radio: WFAN, ESPN LA 710/KWKW (S)
NBA Odds
- LA Lakers +11½
- Brooklyn Nets -11½
- Total: 224
Lakers Struggling
LA has lost two of three and seven of 11, including a 110-104 road loss against Miami on Thursday night. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored a team-high 28 points, but it wasn’t enough as Miami went on a 9-2 run late in the fourth period to take a 104-94 lead it would never relinquish.
“Very proud of the effort, the fight and the belief we had in one and another that we could beat this team,” Los Angeles coach Frank Vogel said. “Our guys competed their tails off.”
James will miss his 11th straight game because of a right, high-ankle sprain suffered on March 20 against the Atlanta Hawks. Davis will miss his 25th consecutive game because of a right calf strain. The Lakers are in the middle of a seven-game road trip.
The Lakers average 109.9 points per game (23rd) on 47.6% shooting from the field (10th) and 35.3% from beyond the arc (23rd). Defensively, LA limits the opposition to just 105.8 points per game (2nd) on 45.4% shooting from the field (6th) and 35.0% from three-point distance (6th).
Is Brooklyn in The House?
The Nets have won two straight with Durant back and eight of 10 overall. Brooklyn ran roughshod over Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans en route to a 139-111 home win on Wednesday night. Durant returned to score 17 points off the bench on 5-for-5 shooting.
“I expected to come out here and play the way I played,” Durant said. “I wasn’t trying to ease into the game.”
The dominating win helped the Nets improve to 22-6 at Barclays Center. Brooklyn averages a league-leading 119.0 points per game on 49.4% shooting from the field (1st) and 39.3% from beyond the arc (2nd). Defensively, Brooklyn allows a generous 114.2 points per game (25th) on 46.2% shooting from the field (12th) and 36.3% from three-point distance (13th).
No ‘Bron, No Ad? No Problem!
I suspect Brooklyn wants to deliver another message to their Western Conference counterparts should these two meet in the NBA Finals.
The Nets beat the Lakers 109-98 in LA on Feb. 18 with Davis out of the lineup and should cruise to a bigger win. While Los Angeles has struggled to score, with LeBron on the court, that’s certainly not the case for the explosive Nets.
The Lakers are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games as an underdog, 3-8 ATS in their last 11 road games vs. a team with a winning home record, and 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games against a team with a winning straight up record. On the flip side, the Nets are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 home games against a team with a winning road record and 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings against the Lakers.
I’m not overly fond of the double-digit spread but feel a smackdown coming for Los Angeles. I’m going with Brooklyn to put on a big-time show on prime-time TV to get it done!
Pick: Nets 118, Lakers 103
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