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The Philadelphia 76ers will face the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a 76ers-Clippers prediction and pick.
This is a hugely important game for Philadelphia. The 76ers have a legitimate shot at taking the first seed in the Eastern Conference, as they are only a game and a half behind the Miami Heat. A win here would tie them for the second seed while bringing them even closer to Miami. The Clippers, on the other hand, have pretty much locked themselves into the eighth seed in the Western Conference. With no real potential to improve their standing and no chance of losing it, the Clippers should be looking for a quality showing against a championship-caliber opponent. This game should be an interesting one, so let's get into the pick.
Here are the 76ers-Clippers NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: 76ers-Clippers Odds
Philadelphia 76ers: -5 (-108)
Los Angeles Clippers: +5 (-112)
Over: 217.5 (-110)
Under: 217.5 (-110)
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Why The 76ers Could Cover The Spread
Philadelphia's defense should fare well in this matchup. The Sixers are one of the better defensive teams in the league, as they only allow 106 points per game. They also hold their opponents to poor shooting efficiency and effective field goal numbers. Another important factor in this matchup is their three-point percentage allowed. Philadelphia only allows their opponents to shoot 34% from deep, which should play well against a Clippers team that shoots the lights out from three. Despite shooting well from three, this Los Angeles offense isn't particularly good. They only shoot 45% from the field overall while scoring 106 points per game. Those are numbers that the 76ers should handle with ease.
While the Sixers haven't been great against the spread, their numbers in games like this one are pretty good. Philadelphia is 20-14-1 ATS when they play on the road, with a 10-9-1 record as road favorites. The Clippers are 16-19 against the spread at home and 5-5 as a home underdog. Overall, this looks like a pretty good spot to take the Sixers.
Why The Clippers Could Cover The Spread
Unsurprisingly, the Clippers will also count on their defense in this matchup. Los Angeles has been a solid defensive team all season long, holding their opponents to 108 points per game. They also allow some of the worst shooting percentages in the league, as their opponents only shoot 51% from two and 34% from three. Both of those numbers rank inside the top ten in the NBA. It also helps that Los Angeles doesn't really give their opponents many free throw opportunities. The Clippers only send opposing players to the charity stripe 19 times per game, one of the best numbers in the league. That should help slow down a Sixers team that shoots the third-most free throws per game.
Home court advantage will give the Clippers a slight boost in this game. Los Angeles has gone 20-15 at home and 16-23 when they play anywhere else. The Clippers are also 7-3 in their last ten home games. It's clear that Los Angeles prefers to play in Crypto.com Arena. While the Sixers have been good on the road, this looks like a more advantageous spot for the Clippers.
Final 76ers-Clippers Prediction & Pick
The Sixers are the obvious pick. They actually have something to play for and they're the far better team. It's surprising to see them only favored by five points in this game. Lock in Philadelphia and don't look back.
Final 76ers-Clippers Pick: Philadelphia 76ers: -5 (-108)
