The Washington Wizards (17-57) and Los Angeles Lakers (48-26) will meet in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 10:00 p.m. ET from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. The game will broadcast live on SportsNet LA.
The Lakers are 15.5-favorites over the Wizards on the spread (Lakers -15.5), with the over/under set at 236.5 total points. Los Angeles is a -1350 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while Washington is +800 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Wizards vs. Lakers predictions and NBA picks for Monday, March 30.
Wizards vs Lakers Prediction, Pick
- Wizards vs Lakers pick: LeBron James Over 8.5 Assists (-112)
My Lakers vs. Wizards best bet is on LeBron James to record over 8.5 assists in tonight's contest. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Wizards vs Lakers Odds
| Wizards Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+15.5 -105 | 236.5 -105o / -115u | +800 |
| Lakers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-15.5 -115 | 236.5 -105o / -115u | -1350 |
Wizards vs Lakers NBA Preview
When the Lakers and Wizards last met in Washington. Luka Doncic had a triple-double in the first half of that game and finished with 37 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists. The Lakers scored 142 points while shooting 61% from the field.
This time around, the Wizards will not have to worry about Doncic, as he will serve a one-game suspension for his 16th technical foul.
Luka was originally slated to miss last Monday's game against the Pistons, but he had his 16th technical foul rescinded in Orlando. He had no such luck this time, but don't expect this game to go much better for the Wizards.
The Lakers are still heavy favorites at home with Austin Reaves and LeBron James leading the offense tonight.
The Wizards allow 124 points per game, which they nearly allowed on the nose last night in a 123-88 trouncing in Portland.
Tonight, the Wizards will be on the second night of a back-to-back as they wrap up their West Coast trip. As a result, they have not submitted an injury report as of this writing.
However, at a minimum, I would not expect to see Trae Young, Kyshawn George, and potentially Alex Sarr as well. With eight games left in the regular season, the Wizards have the league's second-worst record and sit a half-game ahead of the Pacers.
Meanwhile, the Lakers are surging. They have won 11 of their past 12 games and hold a one-game lead over the Nuggets for the third seed in the West. Over that span, they rank fifth in offensive rating, ninth in defensive rating, and seventh in net rating.
Doncic has certainly been a big part of their recent success, as he is dropping 40 points a night at this point. However, the offense will be in capable hands with Reaves and James.
In addition to Doncic, the Lakers will be without Marcus Smart, who is out with a right ankle contusion. That may move Rui Hachimura back into the starting lineup for his 36th start of the season — which would also give him a start against his former team, and he is averaging 13.8 points over his last five games against them.
Wizards vs Lakers Predictions, Betting Analysis
LeBron James Over 8.5 Assists / 10+ Assists
Without Doncic, I expect James to either start at point guard or at least be the primary facilitator tonight.
LeBron has already has recorded eight assists in four of his last five games. However, he is averaging 9.5 assists in six games without Doncic this season, including 10 assists in three straight games that Doncic missed last month.
Additionally, LeBron has tallied nine assists in each of his last four games against the Wizards without Doncic, averaging 10.5 per game.
The Wizards rank 29th in both points and assists allowed. With the Lakers' team total sitting at 126.5, James should have plenty of opportunities to reach this number.
Austin Reaves 25+ Points
Reaves has scored somewhere between 24 and 26 points in each of his last four games.
Reaves has also thrived when playing without Doncic this season. He is averaging 29.7 points in nine games without Luka this season, including a few where he was returning from injury himself.
He should be good for 25 points tonight, considering the nature of the matchup.
Deandre Ayton 8+ Rebounds
Ayton had 13 rebounds against Washington in the first meeting.
The Wizards allow the most rebounds per game — and the most to centers, specifically.
Ayton has recorded eight rebounds in seven of his last 10 games, while averaging 8.7 per game.
Will Riley Over 13.5 Points
Will Riley has scored 14 points in six of his last eight games for the Wizards, while averaging 16.5 per game.
He should have a long enough leash to play at least 25-30 minutes, which is an important factor, considering their current in-game management strategy.
Wizards vs Lakers Parlay Picks
- LeBron James 10+ Assists
- Austin Reaves 25+ Points
- Deandre Ayton 8+ Rebounds
- Will Riley Over 13.5 Points
Parlay Odds: +675 via DraftKings
