I'm a Pels fan, but I have to roll with the Lakeshow -8.5 tonight. Lakers are on a 6-game win streak and sitting in 2nd in the West. Lakers have been dominant at home (23-7). The Pels have had a brutal season but they're showing signs of life, winning 4 of their last 5. With Zion healthy and Trey, CJ and newcomer Kelly Olynyk, they've been more competitive lately, but they'll need a near-perfect game to hang with the Lakers.
The problem is, the Pels' defense is still one of the worst in the league, ranking 29th in defensive rating and dead last in threes allowed per game. That’s not what you want against a Lakers team that has locked in defensively. Luka has been a perfect fit, and LeBron is about to hit a historic milestone tonight, becoming the first player ever to reach 50,000 combined regular season and playoff points. You know he’ll be motivated to put on a show. While the Pels have been keeping games close, this is a different level of competition. Unless Zion goes nuclear, I just don’t see them keeping up. I'm taking Lakers -8.5.
The problem is, the Pels' defense is still one of the worst in the league, ranking 29th in defensive rating and dead last in threes allowed per game. That’s not what you want against a Lakers team that has locked in defensively. Luka has been a perfect fit, and LeBron is about to hit a historic milestone tonight, becoming the first player ever to reach 50,000 combined regular season and playoff points. You know he’ll be motivated to put on a show. While the Pels have been keeping games close, this is a different level of competition. Unless Zion goes nuclear, I just don’t see them keeping up. I'm taking Lakers -8.5.
