Lakers vs. Wizards Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for December 18 (Washington Fails to Snap Lengthy Losing Streak)

Lakers vs. Wizards Game Info

• Date: Sunday, December 18, 2022
• Time: 9:30 PM ET
• Venue: Crypto.com Arena -- Los Angeles, California
• Coverage: SportsNet LA and NBCS-DC

The 2022-23 NBA season continues on Sunday with seven more games, including a battle between the Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Lakers. The Wizards rank 12th in the Eastern Conference with an 11-19 record, while the Lakers check in 12th in the Western Conference with a 12-16 record.

Washington saw its losing streak extended to nine games thanks to a 102-93 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Lakers earned a much-needed 126-108 win over the Denver Nuggets their last time out on Friday. Which team fighting to get back in the playoff race wins here?

Lakers vs. Wizards Odds & Spread

• All NBA betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: LAL: (-190) | WAS: (+160)
• Spread: LAL: -4.5 (-112) | WAS: +4.5 (-108)
• Total: 234.5 -- Over: (-112) | Under: (-108)

The Lakers enter this contest as small home favorites on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 9:30 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 234.5 points, which is above average compared to the rest of Sunday's projected totals.

Lakers vs. Wizards Betting Trends

• The Lakers have put together a record of 12-14-1 against the spread this season.
• The Wizards are 3-9 ATS when underdogs by 4.5 points or more this year.
• This season, Lakers games have hit the over 15 times out of 28 chances.
• Wizards games this season have eclipsed the over/under 13 times in 28 opportunities (46.4%).
• When playing at home, Los Angeles has a better record against the spread (7-6-1) compared to its ATS record on the road (5-8-0).
• Washington's winning percentage against the spread, both home and away, is .357. It is 5-8-1 ATS on its home court and 5-9-0 on the road.

Lakers vs. Wizards Prediction & Pick

Absolutely nothing has been going right for the Wizards as of late. They are averaging a disappointing 110.2 points per game during a nine-game losing streak that has them spiraling down the Eastern Conference ranks. That scoring average drops even lower when Washington is on the road (109.3).

The Lakers have been up-and-down in 2022, but they are averaging a reliable 115.4 points per game (No. 9 in NBA) and rank 12th in defensive efficiency. LA is also logging 53.1 rebounds per game (No. 7 in the NBA). These are marks of a team that isn't getting the bounces to go their way at 12-16 overall.

The Lakers are 5-1 straight up in their last six games as a favorite, so I'll back the home team.

Final Score Prediction: Lakers: 124 | Wizards: 112

Lakers vs. Wizards Best Bet

Yes, the Lakers will be without their top scorer in Anthony Davis for this game. He suffered a right foot injury during the first half on Friday and did not return after halftime. Without its main force around the rim, LA will need to rely on 18-time All-Star LeBron James and spot-up shooters to get the job done.

The good news is that James is averaging 32.7 points over his last three games and the Lakers are shooting 35.2% from beyond the arc during that same span (No. 14 in NBA). Overall, Washington is 0-5 against the spread (ATS) in its last six games, while LA is 5-1-1 ATS in its last seven home games.

Bet: Los Angeles Lakers -4.5 (-112)

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.