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The January 17 fixture of the NBA will feature possible playoff teams climbing the ranks of their conferences. Tuesday night will feature the game between hosts Los Angeles Clippers (23-22) and the visiting Philadelphia 76ers (27-16). It’s time to continue our NBA odds series with a Sixers-Clippers prediction and pick.
The Sixers are on a two-game unbeaten streak on the road and will enter this game off of a tight victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. The Sixers are 4-1 in their last five games and 7-3 in their last 10. They hope to seal the season double win over the Clippers, whom they defeated last December at Wells Fargo Center, 119-114.
The Clippers enter the match with a fresh 121-100 win over the Houston Rockets. The Clips look to go back to their winning ways after they had a six-game losing streak dating back from the end of December. They enter this year with just two wins, and the home team looks to find another victory to continue catching up in the Western Conference ladder.
Here are the Sixers-Clippers NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Sixers-Clippers Odds
Philadelphia 76ers: -2 (-108)
Los Angeles Clippers: +2 (-112)
Over: 223 (-110)
Under: 223 (-110)
How To Watch Sixers vs. Clippers
TV: TNT
Stream: NBA League Pass
Time: 10 PM ET / 7 PM PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Sixers Could Cover The Spread
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Doc Rivers's side is currently fourth in the Eastern Conference standings and third in the Atlantic Division, with 127 wins and 16 losses made this season so far. Philly is five games behind the first-seed Boston, and the Eastern Conference ladder has been a mixed bag as the next nine teams have cracked 20 wins so far in their battle for playoff contention.
Philly got mixed results when playing as visitors, where they posted a 10-9 record. However, they rack up plenty of offensive options capable of getting buckets every night. Joel Embiid leads the squad with 33.4 points, while James Harden and Tyrese Maxey put up 22.3 and 20.8 points on a nightly basis. Tobias Harris has also been a consistent fourth-player option for Doc Rivers, delivering 16.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. Other role players like De'Anthony Melton, Shake Milton, Georges Niang, and Montrezl Harrell are also capable of pulling good offensive performances.
The Sixers have a 110.5 defensive rating this season, alongside eight steals and five blocks posted per game. These numbers certainly hold up as the Sixers have reliable defenders in Embiid, Melton, Harris, Matisse Thybulle, and PJ Tucker.
With just two defeats at the turn of the year 2023, the Sixers look hopeful to make another wave of successive victories. They still need five winning games to catch up to Eastern Conference leaders Boston Celtics, but they can only do so if they make wins one step at a time.
Why The Clippers Could Cover The Spread
It has been Year Four that the Clippers battle through the NBA with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard at the forefront of the Clips' two-way playstyle. While the two have been on and off their playing availability and have played only 15 games together this season, Tyronn Lue's side still managed to survive the first 45 games this season. The Clippers are a game above .500 but they shall push hard if they want to make playoff contention.
The Clippers have a 37% three-point shooting rate this season, alongside a 57% true shooting rate and 50.8 rebounding percentage. 16 players have suited up for the Clips this season, and aside from Kawhi and PG, they have deep offensive machinery in the likes of John Wall, Norman Powell, Ivica Zubac, Marcus Morris Sr., and Reggie Jackson, who all average double-digit points in 34 or more games played this season. The Clips are also grooving with their youngsters, such as Zubac, Terence Mann, Luke Kennard, Brandon Boston Jr., and Amir Coffey. Nic Batum and Robert Covington are also two-way veterans capable of producing threes and getting rebounds every night.
The key to the Clippers' win is to convert three-pointers in this game. While Zubac and Moses Brown are the only reliable bigs that can score in the paint, the rest of the crew can stretch the floor and hustle on defense. As they are playing on their home court, they should feed off their crowd's energy and be able to convert more than their regular 12.3 three-point makes this season. Tyronn Lue should manage his roster in this game, as Wall, Kennard, Boston Jr, and Moussa Diabate are all out. George is questionable.
Final Sixers-Clippers Prediction & Pick
With no defeats since the start of the new year, the Sixers look like they found their rhythm. Doc Rivers will surely have a game plan prepared for the Clippers, having knowledge of the effective playstyles to disrupt his former squad which he coached last 2020. Ride on the Sixers to cover this tiny spread. While both teams include heavily offensive rosters, both teams are capable of either making offensive adjustments after halftime or relying heavily on defense if either team keeps the game close after the first two quarters. It's best to avoid betting on the over/under, as this scoreline seems tricky.
Final Sixers-Clippers Prediction & Pick: Philadelphia 76ers -2 (-112)
