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In an interconference matchup between the Los Angeles Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night, both teams are entering play with exhilarating overtime finishes within the last 24 hours. This contest should be a dandy to say the least, as both squads will look to avoid feeling fatigued in the final minutes with the Clippers and Bucks playing their second games of a back-to-back. Let's shift the focus to our NBA odds series, where our Clippers-Bucks prediction and pick will be revealed.
Sitting at 37-40 on the year and having already clinched a play-in berth in the Western Conference, the Clippers will look to go streaking in the final week of the NBA regular season. Returning to the lineup is Paul George, who has been sidelined since Dec. 6th with a torn ligament in his shooting elbow. Even with George listed as OUT on Friday evening due to elbow maintenance, the 31-year-old seven-time All-Star is the missing ingredient that the Clippers so desperately needed for the play-in. Los Angeles has been sputtering of late, losing six of their past seven games.
After outlasting the Brooklyn Nets narrowly on Thursday night in an overtime thriller 120-119, it appears that the Bucks are surging at the perfect time. Unlike LA, Milwaukee is 7-3 in their previous ten games and sits only 0.5 games back of the Miami Heat for the #1 overall seed in the east.
Here are the Clippers-Bucks NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA odds: Clippers-Bucks Odds
Los Angeles Clippers: +3.5 (-110)
Milwaukee Bucks: -3.5 (-110)
Over: 218 (-110)
Under: 218 (-110)
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Why the Clippers Could Cover the Spread
Even with the Clippers taking it easy with Paul George and having him sit this one out, Los Angeles is still a very capable team that can hang with anyone on any given night. This is strictly facts, as the Clippers have somehow managed their way into a playoff spot with their team depth and ability to keep teams at bay on offense. Los Angeles hasn't had a losing campaign in quite some time, and with a few games remaining, it appears that the Clippers will fail to have a winning season since 2010-2011. Even for an organization that has never reached the conference finals, they have avoided being the laughing stock of the town, as their bitter rivals who share the same building in the Lakers have fallen off the map and are currently looking on the outside in at the postseason picture.
While this alone could make any Clippers fan shed a tear of joy, major changes need to be made to start playing winning basketball. In last night's loss versus the Bulls, LA had a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter before squandering it to Chicago behind DeMar DeRozan's jaw-dropping 50 points. In order to reverse their fortunes and cover the spread versus Milwaukee, the Clippers have to find a way to win the rebounding battle. Los Angeles is not very effective in reeling in the rock off of missed shots, and against a tall and athletic Bucks team, this should be priority number one as they prepare for the world champs. The Clippers are 4-0 ATS in their last four Friday games.
Why the Bucks Could Cover the Spread
Outside of maybe Phoenix, the Bucks are the hottest team in the NBA, and no one wants to be playing them right now. Has Giannis Antetokounmpo inched his way into the MVP conversation? Many believe so, and that was before Giannis' monstrous showing last night where he erupted for 44 points on 14-21 shooting. As similarly stated above, the biggest reason that Milwaukee could cover the spread is their size and rebounding advantage on LA. The Bucks are the second-best rebounding team in the NBA and are the fourth-best squad in points per game with 115.0.
Even when Milwaukee isn't playing up to standards, their championship mentality has pushed them through. The Bucks are starved to prove that last year's title was no fluke, and they are showing just how destructive they can be to opposing foes on both ends of the floor. Milwaukee is a fabulous team against the spread recently, covering in their last four home games when they're the favorite.
Final Clippers-Bucks Prediction & Pick
While both soon-to-be playoff teams are coming off limited rest, the Clippers are in a world of hurt looking at this matchup. Without Paul George and a true force in the middle that can slow down Giannis and Buck's ferocious rebounding presence, don't be alarmed if this one is out of hand by the half. Milwaukee stays blistering and wins big!
Final Clippers-Bucks Pick: Bucks -3.5 (-110)
