- The Los Angeles Lakers have EVEN odds to not finish in the top six teams in the Western Conference.
- Since LeBron James’ ankle injury the Lakers have a 5-7 record.
- The Lakers are 33-20 on the season and are currently the No. 5 seed in the West.
LOS ANGELES – The 2020-2021 NBA regular season has gone smoothly as the league has safely navigated playing amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The Los Angeles Lakers have remained afloat in a competitive Western Conference with a 33-20 record earning them the fifth seed if the NBA Playoffs were to start today.
The defending champion Lakers are dealing with injuries to their most important players as Anthony Davis hasn’t played since February 14 with a calf/Achilles injury. After not playing for nearly two months Davis will be re-evaluated by team doctors this Thursday per Yahoo Sports.
Davis has only played in 23 or the Lakers' 53 games this season but the addition of Andre Drummond will allow him to play the power forward position more which will keep him from having to constantly battle in the paint.
Davis is expected to return to the Lakers starting lineup before reigning NBA Finals MVP LeBron James. The four-time NBA champion suffered a high ankle sprain on March 20, against the Atlanta Hawks and has missed the past 12 games.
The Lakers are just 5-7 in those 12 games without James as they have a massive hole to fill, he leads the team in points, rebounds, and assists.
The Lakers are trying to hold onto at least the sixth seed in the West until Davis returns as they’re two games ahead of the (6) Portland Trailblazers with a 31-22 record and four games ahead of the (7) Dallas Mavericks who have a 29-23 mark this season. For the Lakers to remain in the top six of they’ll need at least Davis back within the next five games and will need to lean on other teams to beat teams around them in the standings.
The NBA standings through Week 16!
➡️ Teams ranked 7-10 will participate in the NBA Play-In Tournament after the regular season (May 18-21) to secure the final two spots in the Playoffs for each conference. pic.twitter.com/3JjMUeRUkC
— NBA (@NBA) April 12, 2021
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Bovada has listed an NBA Specials betting prop on if the Lakers will finish the regular season in the top six of the Western Conference.
Will LA Lakers Finish The Regular 2020-21 Season In Top 6 Of The Western Conference?
- Yes -135
- No -105
The Lakers are a team that despite being without their two best players can still pull off an upset against any team. The Lakers defense is the second-best in the NBA as they only surrender 105.8 points per game.
That effort is a big reason why the purple and gold have been able to stay afloat and will likely finish no lower than the sixth seed in the West. Bettors shouldn’t shy away from the -135 odds the defending champion Lakers finish in the top six especially with the looming returns of Lebron James and Anthony Davis.
The biggest reason the Lakers have slipped down the standings in the West is that the four teams ahead of them all have an 8-2 record in their last ten games compared to LA’s 5-5 record. This has caused the Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Clippers, and Phoenix Suns to create even more distance between themselves and the Lakers in the standings.
The Denver Nuggets are only one game ahead of the Lakers for the fourth seed while the Clippers are four games ahead of them for the #3 seed. If the Lakers can remain in striking distance, they’ll be able to stay within the top six teams in the West comfortably.
Whenever one or both of James and Davis return to the Lakers starting lineup there is no doubt that the Lakers are one of the best teams in the NBA.
Expect the Lakers to finish the season no lower than the sixth seed. Davis will be back in time to help the team make up lost ground, while LeBron’s return all but ensures the Lakers will be able to finish in the top 3 of the Western Conference if it’s in striking range.
Take the -135 odds and don’t look back as the Lakers seem poised to be at almost full strength going into the final stretch of the regular season and will be inside the top six teams.
The next time the Lakers will be in action will be tonight as they head to Madison Square Garden to take on the New York Knicks with tip-off set for 7:30 p.m. EST.
As a professional sports writer, Robert has written for outlets such as the FAMUAN and other sports-centric platforms. He focuses mainly on NFL and NBA betting, though he keeps tabs on every major sport.
