by Chuck Sommers
Thursday, Jan 20, 2022
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Venue: Amway Center, Orlando, FL
Where to watch: BSFL, SPECSN
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Lakers -5.5
BetMGM: Lakers -5.5
Caesars: NL
Season record
Lakers: 22-23 (8th place, Western Conference)
Magic: 8-38 (Last place, Eastern Conference)
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Lakers - Magic preview, analysis and prediction
The Los Angeles Lakers might be broken with no real hope of repair. But facing the Orlando Magic will help the attempt at putting them back together when the Lakers visit Orlando on Friday.
We can’t find the gauge as to what’s really wrong with the Lakers. They can win five of six and make things look like they’re going well, to losing four of five and having the masses believe the world is crashing and burning yet again.
Right now, the Lakers world is heading for a loud crash after losing 111-104 to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday that dropped them to 22-23 and bringing more questions to how they’re going to improve at some point.
The Lakers dropped to 5-5 ATS in their last 10 and an abysmal 18-27 overall this season.
LeBron James led the Lakers in scoring for the 15th consecutive game with 30 points to go along with 12 rebounds, and Talen Horton-Tucker had 20 points in 25 minutes off the bench. Other than that, nothing else.
Russell Westbrook was his usual self in scoring 14 points on 17 attempts, and Carmelo Anthony had just 14 points in 30 minutes.
"Of course there's a lot of frustration, for sure," James said. "I feel like we have a good enough team to win ballgames and be over .500. But our record is ... we are who we are. We've got a road trip coming up and we will be tested with a lot of great teams."
The Lakers open as 6-point favorites in most books which has kept with the theme of how the books view the Lakers against inferior opponents; in their last five wins against the Utah Jazz, Atlanta Hawks, Sacramento Kings, Minnesota Timberwolves and Portland Trail Blazers, the Lakers were favored in four of those games. Los Angeles was 5.5-point dogs against the banged-up Jazz.
But if there’s a team that could help the Lakers iron things out, it’s the Magic. Since Dec. 3, the Magic are 3-20 in their last 23 games but have gone 20-26 against the spread overall this season. Orlando has also found ways to keep it close; look at being 11.5-point dogs on Wednesday against the Philadelphia 76ers and losing by only 13.
Maybe things change if Joel Embiid doesn’t go for 50 points, but that’s neither here nor there.
But if the line was creeping double digits for the Magic, I’d be more comfortable taking them with those points. Considering it’s only six, even though the Lakers are 12-21 ATS as a favorite this season, the Magic are also 3-14 ATS at home this season. As much as one wouldn’t want to, the Lakers are a safe play on Friday. Lakers by 10
Betting trends
Over is 7-1 in the Lakers' last eight following an ATS loss.
The under is 4-1 in the Lakers' last five road games against a team with a losing record at home.
The Magic are 5-21-1 ATS in their last 27 home games.
Projected starting lineup
Lakers:
PG: Russell Westbrook
SG: Avery Bradley
SF: LeBron James
PF: Trevor Ariza
C: Dwight Howard
SF: LeBron James
PF: Trevor Ariza
C: Dwight Howard
Magic:
PG: Cole Anthony
SG: Jalen Suggs
SF: Franz Wagner
PF: Moritz Wagner
C: Mo Bamba
SF: Franz Wagner
PF: Moritz Wagner
C: Mo Bamba
Key injuries
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
