Halftime Report
After a tough defeat on the road their last time out, the Lakers look much better today on their home court. They have jumped out to a 59-49 lead against the Wizards.
If the Lakers keep playing like this, they’ll bump their record up to 23-18 in no time. On the other hand, the Wizards will have to make due with a 6-36 record unless they turn things around (and fast).
Who’s Playing
Washington Wizards @ Los Angeles Lakers
Current Records: Washington 6-35, Los Angeles 22-18
How To Watch
- When: Tuesday, January 21, 2025 at 10:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Crypto.com Arena — Los Angeles, California
- TV: Monumental Sports Network 2
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $36.00
What to Know
The Lakers will be playing the full four quarters on Tuesday, but they’re expected to have things wrapped up well before that. They will host the Washington Wizards at 10:30 p.m. ET at Crypto.com Arena. Given that both suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this match.
Last Sunday, things could have been worse for the Lakers, but they could have been a whole lot better as they took a 116-102 loss to the Clippers. The over/under was set at 217.5 points, so nice work oddsmakers; you were right on the money.
The Lakers’ defeat came about despite a quality game from LeBron James, who dropped a double-double on 25 points and 11 assists.
Meanwhile, the Wizards’ recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Sunday after their tenth straight loss. They found themselves the reluctant recipients of a 123-100 punch to the gut against the Kings. Washington was surely aware of their disadvantage in the point spread, but the foreknowledge did nothing to prevent the result.
Jonas Valanciunas put forth a good effort for the losing side as he dropped a double-double on 23 points and 12 rebounds. He had some trouble finding his footing against the Warriors on Saturday, so this was a step in the right direction.
The Wizards struggled to work together and finished the game with only 19 assists. They are winless (0-7) when they just don’t pass the ball.
The Lakers dropped their record down to 22-18 with the defeat, which was their third straight on the road. As for Washington, their loss dropped their record down to 6-35.
The Lakers didn’t have too much breathing room in their game against the Wizards in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, but they still walked away with a 125-120 victory. Do the Lakers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Wizards turn the tables on them? We’ll have the answer soon enough.
Odds
Los Angeles is a big 12.5-point favorite against Washington, according to the latest NBA odds.
Bettors have moved against the Lakers slightly, as the game opened with the Lakers as a 14.5-point favorite.
The over/under is 229 points.
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Series History
Los Angeles has won 7 out of their last 10 games against Washington.
- Apr 03, 2024 – Los Angeles 125 vs. Washington 120
- Feb 29, 2024 – Los Angeles 134 vs. Washington 131
- Dec 18, 2022 – Los Angeles 119 vs. Washington 117
- Dec 04, 2022 – Los Angeles 130 vs. Washington 119
- Mar 19, 2022 – Washington 127 vs. Los Angeles 119
- Mar 11, 2022 – Los Angeles 122 vs. Washington 109
- Apr 28, 2021 – Washington 116 vs. Los Angeles 107
- Feb 22, 2021 – Washington 127 vs. Los Angeles 124
- Nov 29, 2019 – Los Angeles 125 vs. Washington 103
- Mar 26, 2019 – Los Angeles 124 vs. Washington 106
