Our ratings lean toward the Lakers on the road against the Wizards on Tuesday, January 5, at about 75%. That is a real edge, but the Wizards are far from out of it.
How the Win Meter reads
The Win Meter reads the Lakers 75%, with a projected score of Los Angeles Lakers 117, Washington Wizards 110. The rating gap is 295 points in favor of the Lakers, and home court and rest add about 100 rating points for the Wizards on top of that.
A reading this high has real meaning, but upsets of this size happen. Nearly one game in 4 like it goes the other way.
Recent form
The Lakers are 2-0 this season and 2-3 in their last 5 games, with an average margin of -3.2. The Wizards are 1-1 this season and 1-4 in their last 5 games, with an average margin of -9.
The Lakers' best recent win was 127-105 at home against GSW.
The Lakers were beaten 131-108 at home by OKC not long ago.
The Wizards were beaten 140-117 at home by MIA not long ago.
Injuries to watch
Out: Cameron Carr (LAL), expected back Oct 25, 2026, Adou Thiero (LAL), expected back Oct 25, 2026, Jake LaRavia (LAL), expected back Oct 25, 2026, Tristan Vukcevic (WAS), expected back Nov 2, 2026, and Jamir Watkins (WAS), expected back Apr 2, 2027.
Day to day or questionable: AJ Dybantsa (WAS). Their status can change before tip-off.
The season series
In our records of recent meetings, the Lakers lead 4-0, with the Lakers outscoring the Wizards by an average of 27.7 points per game. The last meeting was WAS 101, LAL 120.