- The South Bay Lakers and Rio Grande Valley Vipers will play their second head-to-head game in as many days, the Lakers won the first game 120-112 and are now favored by 1.5 points.
- Scottie Pippen Jr. was the leading scorer last game with a heroic 28 points and seven assists as he works his way back from a concussion.
- Both teams come into the game as top-10 ranked scoring offenses, but the Vipers have lost many key contributors to their NBA affiliate.
EDINBURG, Texas – The South Bay Lakers and the Rio Grande Valley Vipers will matchup for the second game of their back-to-back, where the Lakers won 120-112 yesterday night. The Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets affiliates have both proven to be among the more talented teams in the G League this year.
In their first matchup, Scottie Pippen Jr. showed out in a huge way, leading all players in the game with 28 points and is expected to also be playing today while the LA Lakers await his return to the NBA. Perhaps questionably, online betting sites have given the Lakers a spread of just -1.5, which may be a big value given how they played last time.
South Bay Lakers @ Rio Grande Valley Vipers Odds
- Spread: Lakers 1.5 (-110)
- Total: 237.5
Lakers Boast Well-Rounded Team Led by Pippen Jr.
The Lakers are among the most complete teams in the G League this year, ranking fourth in points per game and sixth in defensive rating. They also recently welcomed back Scottie Pippen Jr. who is working his way back from a concussion. Pippen has been very impressive for the Lakers in his limited time, averaging just under 25 points per game across nine appearances.
The Vipers, while not as dynamic as the Lakers, do boast a strong eighth ranked ppg offense but only feature just an average defense ranked dead-middle of the league. They are usually led by their strong duo of 20+ point scorers Darius Days and Trevor Hudgins, but both have since been called up to the Houston Rockets.
Vipers Will be Shorthanded and Possibly Fatigued
In the game yesterday, the Vipers were undermanned as a result of having three players called up to the NBA through their two-way contracts, fielding just nine players. Due to this, all their starters played 30 or more minutes and they were led in scoring by Cassius Stanley with 22 points. These heavy minutes played could affect their performance just one day later and be a major boon for the Lakers’ chances.
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While the Lakers do excel with Pippen Jr. leading the team, they are otherwise underwhelming in terms of points per game, with no other player averaging over 15. Despite this, it seems that South Bay should have their star guard for this game, which boosts their win possibilities by a massive amount.
Overall, with an eight point win under their belt against this same team yesterday and Pippen Jr. showing little to no signs of rust coming off injury, the Lakers look poised to sweep the series against the Vipers tonight. With online sportsbooks setting just a -1.5 spread for the Lakers, there is phenomenal value to be had at the given -110 odds.
Jeremias began writing 4 years ago after beginning his career at Florida State University. He mainly focuses on using analytics and statistics to educate readers on trends and discoveries to get a leg up on sportsbooks. He mainly focuses on NFL, NHL, and NBA. During his free time, you can find him researching, writing, and betting on various sports.
