Lakers Beat Clippers 125-117: Reaves, Kessler Deliver

by Earl·October 24, 2026

The Lakers beat the Clippers 125-117 on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena, and the story was the new-look supporting cast: Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler powered Los Angeles in a game that, with no LeBron James and no Kawhi Leonard, marked a new era in the rivalry.

The final score landed well above the 228.5 total, and the Lakers' 8-point margin fell short of the -9.5 spread. Both teams entered 1-0, but the Lakers' offense — which put up 127 in the opener — stayed hot against a Clippers defense that had allowed just 96 in its first game. The over was never really in doubt.

How our premium pick graded out:

Moneyline (Lakers): ✅ Hit. The Lakers won outright, though it was closer than the model's 117-108 projection.
Spread (Lakers -9.5): ❌ Missed. The 8-point win fell 1.5 points short of covering.
Total (Over 228.5): ✅ Hit. The 242 combined points cleared the number comfortably.
Model scoreline (Lakers 117, Clippers 108): The actual 125-117 result was higher-scoring on both sides, with the Clippers outperforming their projected 108 by 9 points.

The takeaway: the model's moneyline read was right, but the spread and total leaned too heavily on one-game defensive numbers. The Clippers' 96.0 OPPG after one game was an artifact, not an identity — and the Lakers' offense proved sustainable. For future picks, early-season defensive averages deserve skepticism, and when two 1-0 teams with strong openers meet, the over is often the safer side. We'll adjust accordingly.