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The Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas Mavericks will square off in a Western Conference preseason matchup on Friday night. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Clippers-Mavericks prediction and pick.
The Clippers and Mavericks will battle Friday night in what will be a rematch of a Western Conference first round series between the two teams earlier this year. In the absence of Kawhi Leonard (ACL), Paul George will lead the Clippers in the matchup vs. Luka Doncic and the Mavericks. The Mavericks retain much of their roster from last season, but are now coach by Jason Kidd following Rick Carslise's move to become head coach of the Indiana Pacers.
Here's how the bookmakers have set the Clippers-Mavericks odds for this Friday matchup.
NBA Odds: Clippers-Mavericks Odds
Los Angeles Clippers +4.5 (-110)
Dallas Mavericks -4.5 (-110)
Over 216.5 points (-110)
Under 216.5 points (-110)
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Why The Clippers Can Cover The Spread
The NBA preseason is a tough thing to predict, as coaches toy with rotations and schemes in what are essentially warm-up games for the regular season. Not to say teams aren't playing to win, just that winning may come secondary to other things like conditioning, exploring rotation options or simply getting veterans that are in shape a little rest ahead of the regular season, which is now less than two weeks away. For these reasons, any underdog is probably a safer option. The Clippers were scrappy in the postseason following Leonard's injury last season, and they will likely continue to be a tough opponent with George as the lead option.
Serge Ibaka, Marcus Morris Sr., Justice Winslow and Jason Preston are all listed as out Friday for the Clippers, in addition to Leonard who is expected to miss the foreseeable future, potentially the entire season.
Why The Mavericks Can Cover The Spread
Doncic and company are always a formidable opponent. The superstar will look to continue rekindling his chemistry with Kristaps Porzingis, who battled injuries late last season. The Mavericks and their new coaching staff continue to tinker with things, but have a little more healthy talent on the floor than the Clippers. If Doncic and the other starters play close to regular minutes, the Mavericks are a solid play here.
Dwight Powell, Dorian Finney-Smith and Frank Ntilikina are listed as out for Dallas on Friday.
Final Clippers-Mavericks Prediction & Pick
Again, the preseason is very weird and tough to gauge. We cannot expect to see entirely normal rotations, as each side has veteran rotational pieces on the shelf for the matchup. Take the points and ride with the Clippers, who have some gritty youth that could take over in the second half if the teams were to pull their starters at some point.
FINAL CLIPPERS-MAVERICKS PREDICTION & PICK: Clippers +4.5 (-110)
