2 min read • February 25, 2022
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Check out the Court View here to see which team has the injury advantage.
The Battle of Los Angeles has less flavor than in recent years due to injuries to both teams major stars. The Clippers and Lakers were projected to finish in the top half of the Western Conference but instead are fighting for a spot in the play-in tournament due to the combined absences of Kawhi Leonard (knee), Paul George (elbow), LeBron James (knee) and Anthony Davis (foot).
Lakers Health
Davis will miss this matchup and the weeks ahead due to a mid-foot sprain and has be far from reliable this year catching the injury bug in December as well missing 17 games due to an MCL sprain.
With the lack of star-power on the roster, James (FD $10,700) has had to carry the load offensively while he deals with his own injury issues. The knee issue has been bothersome but James has played through averaging 29 points and 37.6 minutes in the last five games since returning from a five game absence.
Veteran PF Carmelo Anthony will miss his sixth straight game due to hamstring issue leaving a drop in talent at the PF position as Stanley Johnson and Trevor Ariza will fill-in.
Another player unavailable is SG Avery Bradley who is dealing with a knee ailment. The opens the door for Malik Monk (FD $4,900) to produce as he will have expanded minutes and usage.
Clippers Health
The Clippers have been resilient all season dealing with the absence of Kawhi Leonard the entire season after he suffered an ACL injury in the playoffs last year. Partner in crime Paul George started the year on a tear before injuring his elbow leaving him on the bench for the last 29 games.
Both losses have decreased their offensive output tremendously going from ranking 12th last season to 23rd this season in points per game.
Clippers have instead relied on Marcus Morris (FD $6,200) and Terance Mann (FD $5,900) for splashes on offense making both intriguing value options on Friday.
At the trade deadline, Clippers made a move to help their offense acquiring G Norman Powell but unfortunately suffered a fractured foot in just his third game for the team. Expect Reggie Jackson (FD $6,900) to shoulder the load offensively at the point guard position.
Although both teams have injuries to their stars, the Clippers have the betting edge:
Clippers +3
LeBron James O45.5 Total Pts+Rebs+Ast
Terance Mann O12.5 Points
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