by Rod Pearson
Thursday, Feb 19, 2026
Game Time: 10:00 pm ET, Friday, February 20, 2026
Venue: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
Where to Watch: ESPN
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Clippers +6.5, Lakers -6.5; Over/Under: 224.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Clippers +6.5, Lakers -6.5; Over/Under: 224.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Clippers +6.5, Lakers -6.5; Over/Under: 223.5 points
Season Record
Los Angeles Clippers: 26-28 (4th place, Pacific Division)
Los Angeles Lakers: 33-21 (1st place, Pacific Division)
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Recent Form
Los Angeles Clippers: 6-4 last 10
Los Angeles Lakers: 6-4 last 10
Los Angeles Clippers vs Los Angeles Lakers Preview and Analysis
The Clippers are entering this game with a 26-28 record overall this season and they are 13-17 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a win against the Houston Rockets, but this is also the 2nd game of a back-to-back for them with their game against the Denver Nuggets still to be played on Thursday night. In their game against the Rockets, Kawhi Leonard led the team in points in that game with 27 while Kris Dunn and Bennedict Mathurin each were next on the team with 16 points. Kris Dunn led the team in assists in that game with 6 while Kawhi Leonard led the team in rebounds with 12. They were 46.8% from the field, 39.3% from 3-point range, and 84.6% from the free throw line with their shots in that game. Their offense is averaging 111.9 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 112.3 PPG against them. The Clippers have an ATS record of 27-27 this season and their O/U record is 25-29.
The Lakers are entering this game with a 33-21 record overall this season and they are 15-10 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a win against the Dallas Mavericks. LeBron James led the team in points in that game with 28 while Rui Hachimura was next on the team with 21 points. LeBron James led the team in assists in that game with 12 while LeBron James led the team in rebounds with 10. They were 55.8% from the field, 32.3% from 3-point range, and 85.7% from the free throw line with their shots in that game. Their offense is averaging 116 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 116 PPG against them. The Lakers have an ATS record of 30-24 this season and their O/U record is 30-24.
Clippers vs Lakers Prediction
The current betting odds have the Lakers listed as a 6.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Lakers have looked good in their games this season with their 33-21 record overall which has them in the top half of the West. They have looked good on their home court too with their 15-10 home record this season. Meanwhile, the Clippers haven't looked great in their games this season with their 26-28 record overall which has them in the bottom half of the West. They have been a bad road team too with their 13-17 road record this year. The Clippers have been an interesting team this season with the way things have gone for them. They put themselves in a big hole to start the season as they were one of the worst teams in the NBA, but they have been one of the hottest teams in the league over the last 2 months. They were working their way back towards .500 and have even played themselves back into the play-in tournament, but then they traded away Harden and Zubac. Those weren't moves that will throw away the season, but they were definitely some risky moves, changing the core this deep into the year when they were finally in a groove. The All-Star Break also killed a lot of their momentum and they were already cooling off going into it. They are 6-4 in their last 10 games and went into the break off a win over the Rockets, but they aren't in a great situation here coming out. They are on a back-to-back here and have a really tough game against the healthy Nuggets the night before. The Lakers are going to be rested though, playing their first game back from the break, and they have also looked good lately as they have been getting in a groove. They are also 6-4 in their last 10 games and went into the break off a win over the Mavericks. The Lakers were also missing Doncic before the break, but now they should be healthy again and will be able to take advantage of the Clippers in this bad situation. The best way to place a bet here is on the Lakers to cover the spread in this game.
Clippers Lakers Prediction: Our NBA Pick for Friday, February 20, 2026 (10:00 pm ET start time) is Lakers 121 Clippers 109.
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NBA Betting Trends
Los Angeles Clippers: 7-4 ATS when playing 4 or less games in 10 days. 30-23 1H ATS in all games. 18-10 1H ATS when playing against a team with a winning record. 7-4 UNDER on the road versus poor defensive teams - allowing 116+ points/game.
Los Angeles Lakers: 4-7 ATS off a home blowout win by 20 points or more. 3-8 ATS when playing with 3 or more days rest. 23-14 OVER after playing 3 consecutive home games. 31-23 OVER revenging a road loss vs opponent. 19-13 OVER when playing against a marginal losing team (Win Pct. 40% to 49%).
Key Injuries
Los Angeles Clippers: D. Garland (PG) Out - Toe. B. Beal (SG) Out For Season - Hip.
Los Angeles Lakers: D. Ayton (C) Day To Day - Knee.
Notable Quotes
“It was tough for him, to lose James and to lose Zu. He and James figured out this year, how to play together and play off of each other, which is really good. And Zu has been here from day 1 with Kawhi. So, it was tough for him, you know, to lose those guys.” - Ty Lue on Kawhi Leonard’s strength through the trade deadline.
“This is probably the hardest schedule that I’ve been a part of in 17 years in the league, prior to the All-Star break. You know, and it’s not that it gets any easier. I mean, we don’t have 2 days between games. Last time we practiced was December 27th.” - J.J. Redick on his team’s schedule this season.
Starting Lineups
Los Angeles Clippers
PG Kris Dunn
SG Bennedict Mathurin
SF Kawhi Leonard
PF John Collins
C Brook Lopez
Los Angeles Lakers
PG Luka Doncic
SG Austin Reaves
SF Marcus Smart
PF LeBron James
C Jaxson Hayes
Statistical Leaders
Los Angeles Clippers
PPG: Kawhi Leonard (27.9)
APG: Kawhi Leonard (3.7)
Reb/G: Kawhi Leonard (6.4)
Los Angeles Lakers
PPG: Luka Doncic (32.8)
APG: Luka Doncic (8.6)
Reb/G: Deandre Ayton (8.5)
Coaches:
Los Angeles Clippers: Tyronn Lue (6th season)
Los Angeles Lakers: JJ Redick (2nd season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
