The Los Angeles Lakers are missing their superstar. The Lakers have struggled badly since LeBron James was sidelined by an injury and will be without him once again in a matchup this week against the Detroit Pistons. The Lakers have slid from among the top teams in the Western Conference down to the playoff bubble and hope to avoid being in a race to simply make the postseason.
The Pistons are also on the playoff bubble in the East right now and are hoping to take advantage of James’ absence in order to sneak out a road win. This should be a pretty competitive game considering the short-handed Lakers have the home court advantage in NBA betting lines.
This NBA basketball game between the Detroit Pistons and Los Angeles Lakers will be held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California at 10:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 9th, 2019. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN.
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Odds Analysis
The Lakers have a record of 21-19 on the season but the success has come with James leading the charge. Los Angeles seems to have a decent shot in this game because it is at home, where the Lakers have 13 wins in 21 attempts.
The Pistons are 17-20 on the season, which is good for ninth place in the East. Detroit has struggled of late and needs to pick it up moving forward. Detroit is just 6-11 on the road this season so winning the game, even in a matchup against a Lakers team without James, is not a given.
Injury Report
James injured his groin on Christmas Day against the Warriors in a game the Lakers won. He hasn’t played since and the Lakers have really struggled with five losses in six games. The only win in that span came over the Kings at home.
James was recently ruled out for three straight games and is expected to be re-evaluated this week, which means he is very unlikely to play in this one. James is averaging 27.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game on the season, continuing to be among the game’s elite players even at age 34.
The Lakers could also be without Kyle Kuzma, who is dealing with a lower back injury. Kuzma is averaging 18.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, which is another big loss for Los Angeles.
Player To Watch
Blake Griffin -- If the Pistons are to win this game, they will likely need a big game from their star forward. Griffin was acquired from the other Los Angeles team, the Clippers, last year and has immediately become the go-to guy.
Griffin is averaging 25.1 points, 8.7 rebounds and 5.2 assists per contest. He is shooting 47.1 percent from the floor and 36.5 percent from three-point range. Griffin scored 34 points last time out against Utah and if he can put up big numbers in this one Detroit should have a good shot at the win.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Lakers were a lottery team before James joined them and look similarly without him on the court. The location of this matchup should keep it close but the Pistons are the pick to capture a much-needed road win. The Lakers’ struggles without James will continue in NBA gambling.
Keep an eye on the scoring total. There might not be a lot of defense played in this matchup so the “over” should be under consideration in NBA odds.
NBA ATS Pick: Detroit Pistons 121, Los Angeles Lakers 116
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