The Wizards begin a four-game road trip out West on Tuesday night against the Lakers at 10:30pm. Bradley Beal and LeBron James will face off in what is always an exciting atmosphere at Staples Center. This will be the Wizards’ final back-to-back of the season, as the team will head to Phoenix after the game. With a loss and a Heat win over the Magic, the Wizards will be eliminated from playoff contention. Game Info Staples Center | 10:30 P.M. | TNT | 1500 AM Probable Starters Wizards: G – Tomas Satoransky, G – Bradley Beal, F – Troy Brown Jr., F – Bobby Portis, C – Thomas Bryant Lakers: G – Rajon Rondo, G – Reggie Bullock, F – LeBron James, F – Kyle Kuzma, C – JaVale McGee Injury Report Wizards: Dwight Howard (aggravated gluteal soreness – out), John Wall (left Achilles tendon tear – out), Trevor Ariza (left groin strain – doubtful) Lakers: Lonzo Ball (left ankle sprain – out), Josh Hart (right knee tendinitis – out), Brandon Ingram (thoracic outlet decompression surgery, right arm – out), Mike Muscala (tibialias posterior tendinitis – questionable), LeBron James (left knee contusion – available), Reggie Bullock (right plantar fasciitis - out) Storylines West coast swing begins Los Angeles is the first stop on the Wizards’ four-game, week-long road trip out West. Tuesday marks the 15th and final back-to-back of the season for the Wizards, with the team playing the Suns on Wednesday for the second leg. Washington enters the game 2-12 on the first night of back-to-backs on the year, but 9-5 on the second night. The Lakers will also be playing on a back-to-back, as they’ll travel to Utah to take on the Jazz on Wednesday. LeBron James has typically sat on one of the games of back-to-backs since returning from injury, so that will be something to keep an eye on. After the back-to-back, the Wizards will face Jazz on Friday and Nuggets on Saturday. Washington has struggled on the road all season, going 8-28 in games played away from Capital One Arena. With the NCAA Tournament taking place in Washington this weekend, the schedule-makers had the Wizards go on the west coast. The other Bryant in L.A. Thomas Bryant spent his rookie season in Los Angeles after being drafted in the second round of the 2017 NBA Draft. Bryant played a minimal role for the Lakers his rookie year, and would end up waiving him before his second season. Before the 2018-19 season started, the Wizards claimed Thomas Bryant off waivers from the Lakers. Since then, Bryant has started 45 games for the Wizards, and was recently reinserted into the starting lineup. In his two most recent starts, Bryant has made 70.8% of his shots and averaged 19.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in 35.5 minutes per game. On the season, the Indiana product ranks second among Eastern Conference players in field goal percentage, shooting 62.0% (min. 40 GP, 15.0 mpg) and 80.5% from the restricted area, first in the NBA (min. 3.0 FGA). LeBron and the Lakers The Lakers have struggled as of late, losing 12 of their last 15 games. During that span, they’re shooting 46.5% from the field (12th), but only 29.8% from deep (last). Still, the Lakers rank fourth in the NBA during those 15 games in shots less than five feet from the rim. The key for the Wizards on defense will be to force LeBron James and company to take 3-pointers and less shots around the rim. James, who is averaging 27.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 8.1 assists per game this season, is still one of the league’s most dominant players. The Wizards will need to limit him like they did earlier this season in Washington when they held him to 13 points on 5-of-16 shooting.<doc-sep>Who: Los Angeles Lakers (32-41) vs. Washington Wizards (30-44) When: Tuesday, March 26; 7:30 p.m. PST; Staples Center Where: TNT Months ago, the Lakers’ most anticipated match-ups were those against future playoff teams like the Nuggets, Warriors or Rockets. But, as has been the case far too often in recent years, by late March the important games come against the worst teams with draft lottery standings at risk. Tank Rank On the surface, a game between the Lakers and Wizards should not have any intrigue. At best, it’s a meeting between LeBron James and Bradley Beal, two of the league’s best stars. But this game has plenty of intrigue for the future. The Wizards are tied for seventh in the lottery while the Lakers are 10th with the two sides separated by three losses. Los Angeles has just nine games remaining. A win over the Wizards would effectively end any chance of catching Washingont. Similarly, because of Sunday’s win over Sacramento, the Lakers are two games “behind” the Pelicans. While a game against New Orleans is still in the cards, another win would, again, likely end the chances of the Lakers moving up. Perhaps one believes that the basketball Gods are just and the Lakers opting not to openly tank down the stretch and instead win will be met with rewards come lottery night. Regardless, a win tonight ends the discussion as the Lakers won’t be able to move above 10th in the lottery barring a miracle. Bradley Beal The only other storyline of note for this match-up is the future of Beal. The Lakers remain in pursuit of a second superstar. Depending on how optimistic one’s outlook is, the Lakers rank somewhere between “surefire” and “not a chance in hell” at landing a free agent this summer. What won’t change is that a player like Beal could be available. In the wake of John Wall’s injury, Beal has been nothing short of spectacular. In the last 39 games, Beal is averaging 28.1 points, 6.4 assists and 5.5 rebounds while shooting 47.7 percent from the field, 36.2 percent from three-point territory and 84.1 percent from the line. Beal has emerged as a superstar this season and could be a Laker next year depending on how things play out. Tuesday could be an audition for his future.<doc-sep>
Wizards vs. Lakers Prediction The Lakers have only won twice in their last 10 games but they did pull off a small upset at home versus the Kings in their latest matchup. Will the Lakers win for the second straight time at home when they host the Wizards at 10:30 p.m. ET? Game Snapshot 573 Washington Wizards at 574 Los Angeles Lakers 10:30 p.m. ET, Tuesday, March 26, 2019 Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Our NBA Live Odds page pulls spreads and totals from multiple different online sportsbooks so you can compare betting odds to ensure you’re getting the best line. Public Betting Trends According to oddsmakers from online sportsbook BetNow.eu, the Lakers are 2-point favorites to beat the Wizards. The total, meanwhile, sits at 233 points and as of this writing, 63% of the public betting tickets wagered at online sportsbooks are on the Lakers to cover the point spread. Washington Wizards Fantasy Spin Bradley Beal made 6-of-14 from the field for 16 points with three rebounds, three assists, one steal and two 3-pointers in 34 minutes during a 113-108 loss to the Heat on Saturday. It's just his second dud since the break, which explains why he's been the second most valuable player for total value in nine-category leagues since the All-Star Game (Harden, of course). In other news, the Wizards are about to be eliminated from the playoffs with their tragic number dropping to just one. There has been no word on Beal getting limited to finish the year, so fire him up for his four-game week. Los Angeles Lakers Fantasy Spin LeBron James (groin) is listed as probable for Tuesday vs. the Wizards. We're probably going to see LeBron on the injury report quite a bit with the Lakers eliminated. The probable tag means LeBron will likely play on Tuesday and rest on Wednesday vs. the Jazz for the second night of a back-to-back, so the best-case scenario for his fantasy owners is that he plays three out of the four games this week. NBA Betting Trends Washington The over is 10-2 in the Wizards’ last 12 road games and is 16-7 in their last 23 games overall. Los Angeles The under has cashed in five of the Lakers’ last six games overall and is 35-15-1 in their last 51 games played at Staples Center. Prediction The Wizards have been a terrible play on the road, posting a 13-34 ATS record in their last 47 games away from D.C. They’re also 7-24 against the spread in their last 31 road games versus an opponent with a winning home record and are 2-8 against the number in their last 10 games playing on two days of rest. While the Lakers have been equally terrible at the betting window, they are coming off a nice home win over the Kings on Sunday night and I see them cashing again tonight for bettors that are willing to lay a couple of points on a bad team. Tuesday NBA Prediction: Los Angeles Lakers -2