The Staples Center's two tenants will face off on Monday night in a battle for Los Angeles, but this matchup between the Clippers and Lakers is far more important than just bragging rights in the City of Angels. This game has serious playoff implications, and each team will be desperate for a victory.

Technically hosting Monday night's showdown, the Lakers enter having lost their last two games, including a crucial loss to the lowly Suns. They're now 30-33, and four and a half games out of the eighth spot in the West.

As for the Clippers, they're not only holding on to a playoff spot, but are alone in seventh place at 36-29 on the season. Even after trading Tobias Harris, they continue to play well. 

How to watch Clippers at Lakers

  • Date: Monday, Mar. 4
  • Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
  • Location: Staples Center -- Los Angeles, California
  • TV: NBA TV
  • Streaming: fuboTV (free trial - NBA League Pass add-on available)
  • Live stats: GameTracker
  • Odds: Lakers -4

    • Odds and analysis

    Check Sportsline's NBA pick sheet for all your daily odds.

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    Storylines

    Clippers: It's been the same story for the Clippers the past few weeks, as they continue to succeed even after the blockbuster trade that sent away Tobias Harris. They still have a number of solid players and their roster fits together nicely. On top of that, they play hard and are well coached by Doc Rivers. Their playoff run will likely be short, but they're going to beat a lot of bad to OK teams down the stretch and struggle against the top teams. 

    Lakers: The Lakers' season is hanging in the balance. It was no surprise that they struggled without LeBron James, who missed over a month with a groin injury. But even since he's been back, the team hasn't been able to get it together, as drama off the court plays in the background. Now, after a terrible loss to the Suns, they're four and a half games out of the playoff race with less than 20 games to play. They are almost out of time and need to start a strong stretch soon. Beating the Clippers, one of the teams ahead of them in the playoff picture, would be a good time to start. 

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    Game prediction, pick

    Despite the way they've played the past few games, the Lakers are favorites heading into Monday night's contest. Perhaps Vegas sees this as a bounce-back scenario, but I do not. The Lakers are in a bad place right now, and the Clippers seem like just the hardworking team they do not want to see.