Washington Wizards vs Los Angeles Lakers 2/22/21: Starting Lineups, Matchup Preview, Betting Odds

Washington Wizards vs. Los Angeles Lakers Matchup Preview

Los Angeles is coming off back-to-back losses and will face a Washington team that has won four in a row. The Lakers will be without Anthony Davis and Dennis Schroder tonight, who are major pieces on both sides of the ball. LeBron James has picked up the slack, but the Lakers will need to get more out of their role players. As for Washington, everybody is healthy and playing very well. Bradley Beal is your leading scorer this season, and we have seen secondary pieces like Hachimura and Bertans play strong roles. Oddsmakers still view the Lakers as seven-point favorites tonight despite the more recent trends for both sides. For odds movement and full matchup history, visit the Washington Wizards at Los Angeles Lakers Matchup Page.

TV Schedule

Date: 2/22/21
Time: 10:00 PM ET
Arena: Staples Center, Los Angeles CA
Channel: NBATV

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Wizards Starting 5

PG: Russell Westbrook
SG: Bradley Beal
SF: Garrison Mathews
PF: Rui Hachimura
C: Moe Wagner

Wizards Analysis

Washington has taken down the Blazers, Nuggets, Rockets, and Celtics over the last four games and take on the 2nd-place Lakers tonight. They get a bump without Davis, as the Washington frontcourt is not built to stop any above-average big, let alone Davis. Instead, they have to deal with a high-usage LeBron James who will need to be at his best to carry this Lakers team that all of a sudden looks like the team he joined in his debut Lakers season. Bradley Beal continues to lead the league in scoring at 32.9 points per game but has also dished out 5.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. Russell Westbrook is averaging nearly a triple-double this season at 19-9-9 but has averaged 5.1 turnovers per game and is shooting 41% from the field and 29% from three. Davis Bertans and Rui Hachimura have been playing well, and the second-year Hachimura is averaging 13 and 5 on the season. Washington is without Thomas Bryant for the rest of the year, and they have been struggling to fill his role.

Lakers Starting 5

PG: LeBron James
SF: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
SG: Wesley Matthews
PF: Kyle Kuzma
C: Marc Gasol

Lakers Analysis

There has been a little bump in the road against the Nets and Heat of late. They have lost three of their last four, and Davis being out could lead to the Clippers surpassing them in the standings. They will have a chance to rebound and a team more on the level of Memphis, Minnesota, and OKC, where they have won without Davis, but will certainly have to deal with Beal and Westbrook in the backcourt. With no Dennis Schroder tonight, they will now be missing their second and third scorers. KCP and Wesley Matthews will pick up more of the minutes and usage, but this isn’t exactly a positive for the Lakers. Talen Horton-Tucker is not being handed a higher role, which is a bit odd given he has played well at times this season. We should expect the heavy rotation of guards and Frank Vogel riding the hot hand.

Wizards & Lakers DFS Angle

We have a 226 total in this one, and that is a plus on tonight’s slate. Washington’s defense continues to be one to attack, but the Lakers are without Anthony Davis, which shifts their defensive power ranking down a bit. Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal will command the usage in the backcourt, and Beal I would use in any format, where Lillard and Doncic just are safer plays than Westbrook. LeBron James is averaging 52 fantasy points over his last five games. Kyle Kuzma continues to fill in nicely, averaging 30 over his last five games. Kuzma’s price is on the rise, so he isn’t a must-play value anymore. Davis Bertans is a flyer per usual where he can light it up for three. Rui Hachimura is averaging over 25 fantasy points in the last five games and is a solid value.

Wizards vs. Lakers Betting Odds

Wizards Spread: +7
Wizards Moneyline: +114
Lakers Spread: -7
Lakers Moneyline: -137
Over/Under Points Total: 226

Washington has been playing better when it comes to covering as they have covered four of their last five games. The Lakers have covered just two of their last eight games and 14-17 overall. Could we be starting to see the cracks in the Lakers system without Davis? Certainly, but not having Dennis Schroder tonight is also a big loss as he can help on the offensive side. Washington can put up buckets and will have two fewer bodies to stop on the Lakers side. The -7 seems rather high even against Washington, and the public money is leaning on them to cover here. I am in agreement here as the Lakers will likely have this be a close game where they can still win, but the Wizards cover.