A win tonight would mean a lot for the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets, who will be squaring off with each other at Barclays Center. Both teams have lost their first five games of the 2015-16 season and are desperately searching for win No. 1. But only one will emerge with their hands held high. Who’s it gonna be?
Read on below for a comprehensive breakdown of this promising game and while you’re at it, check out our other previews as well: Hawks at Pelicans and Pistons at Suns.
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Los Angeles Lakers vs. Brooklyn Nets Betting Preview
Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
When: Friday, November 6, 2015, 7:30 PM ET
Line: Los Angeles Lakers (+3.5) vs. Brooklyn Nets (-3.5); total: 207.0 – view all NBA lines
Betting on the Los Angeles Lakers
Expectations were slightly higher for the Los Angeles Lakers entering this 2015-16 season but so far, they’ve been looking as bad as ever. They’ve lost all of their four games and are at the very bottom of the Western Conference together with the also-winless Pelicans. Tonight, the Lakers will try again to notch win No. 1 when they kick off their five-game road trip in Brooklyn.
[sc:NBA240banner ]Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle are going to be the main keys to victory. The two are coming off solid performances last time out opposite the Nuggets Wednesday night. Clarkson tied his career-high of 30 points while Randle contributed 16 points on 7-of-14 shooting and had five rebounds.
Kobe Bryant, meanwhile, is still off to a slow start. He’s averaging 15.8 points per game but is shooting the rock at a dismal rate of 32.3 percent and 20.6 percent beyond the arc—both are the lowest in his career. Fortunately, Bryant could be in for a much more efficient night going up against a Nets’ team that ranks third-worst in the league in defensive efficiency this season.
Speaking of defense, the purple and gold are actually the worst right now by giving up 116.8 opponents’ points per game, the highest in the NBA. Lack of communication and chemistry has proven to be the main causes of their defensive woes.
That said, the pressure is on head coach Byron Scott to make sure his boys constantly talk with one another in order to make the necessary switches during pick-and-roll plays and prevent any players being left wide open for an easy shot. Once they do that consistently, their own offense will eventually come to them and hopefully result to a win.
Los Angeles is 2-8 SU and 4-5-1 ATS in its last 10 road games.
The Brooklyn Nets can certainly relate to the Lakers’ slow start since they’re basically on the same boat right now. They’ve also opened their campaign with a 0-5 win-loss record which marks their worst start since the 2009-10 season. Nevertheless, Brooklyn will need to keep moving forward and shift their focus for tonight’s game.
The Lakers are going to be in town and the Nets have to feel pretty good about it. That’s mainly because they’ll be matching up against the worst defensive team in the league today. They are going to have the perfect opportunity to finally locate their struggling offense (89. 8 PPG) and expect their center, Brook Lopez, to lead the charge in doing so.
Lopez has been the sole bright spot in Brooklyn. The seven-footer is averaging a team-high 20.0 PPG and 8.0 RBG. He’s also fresh off his best performance opposite the Hawks Wednesday night, during which he finished with 27 points and 11 rebounds despite garnering the lopsided 101-87 defeat. Against the Lakers, Lopez is posting 24.2 points and 10.1 rebounds across 10 career games.
But no matter how good he’s been, the Nets can’t rely on him to carry the entire offensive burden. Someone needs to step up and provide a helping hand in scoring some much-needed points. That said, the pair of Joe Johnson and Jarrett Jack will have to answer to the call.
Johnson, the seven-time All-Star, has been struggling thus far through five games with just 8.4 PPG and a 28.3 field goal percentage. He could be in for a big game later, though, since he’s fared quite well versus the purple and gold throughout his career with 17.3 PPG and 4.4 APG. Jack, meanwhile, is the Nets’ second-leading scorer and starting point guard. He’s posting 12.0 points and a team-high 6.5 dimes per game this season.
Brooklyn has won the past three meetings with the Lakers and is 5-5 SU and ATS in its last 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction
Kobe Bryant relocates his shooting stroke and leads the Lakers (+3.5) to their first win of the season.
