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A showdown out on the Golden Coast is only a mere hours away as the Golden State Warriors clash with the Los Angeles Clippers. Join us for our NBA odds series where our Warriors-Clippers prediction and pick will be revealed.
There's the good, the bad, the ugly, and now a once proud Golden State Warriors franchise that is falling on hard times. Not only have they faced a fair amount of scrutiny thanks to Draymond Green being suspended indefinitely due to his unpredictable violence on the court, but Golden State his also only 10-13 overall and have lost three of their last four games. For a team that is only a couple years removed from an NBA title, the tide of this squad needs to change in a hurry if they want to be taken seriously as contenders.
Meanwhile, the Clippers have proven that they have finally turned a corner and have been winners in five consecutive matchups overall. After a rocky start to the James Harden era, Los Angeles has finally figured out how to gain chemistry amongst the big names on the roster. With a 13-10 overall record and an impressive 9-3 mark inside their home building, this Clippers team is becoming a scary threat out west!
Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Warriors-Clippers Odds
Golden State Warriors: +5.5 (-114)
Los Angeles Clippers: -5.5 (-106)
Over: 231.5 (-110)
Under: 231.5 (-110)
How to Watch Warriors vs. Clippers
Time: 10:30 ET/7:30 PT
TV: NBC Sports Bay Area/NBA TV
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Warriors Could Cover The Spread
Despite being in the middle of a rut, it is never wise to be sleeping on the dangerous capabilities of this Warriors squad. With a key component in Draymond Green being suspended for the foreseeable future after he threw a blatant right hook at Phoenix Suns big man Jusuf Nurkic, Golden State will need to rely more heavily on others to pick up the workload.
All in all, the engine of this team is Stephen Curry who is once again having another historical shooting season. Despite being on the verge of turning 36 years of age in March, Curry is still well in his prime. Through the Warriors' first 23 games of the season, the elite sharpshooter has averaged 29.7 points per game which is the seventh-most in the NBA while accumulating a 42.2% mark from beyond the arc. Most recently, it was the four-time All-NBA First-Teamer who had an off-night shooting in the loss to the Suns and it would be far from a surprise if Curry caught fire in this one. At first glance, the Clippers are no juggernauts defensively by any means, and if Golden State wants a shot at downing LA on their own home floor, then Curry may need to be at his best.
If all else fails, Golden State's main priority will need to be finding a way to push the pace in nearly every possession considering Los Angeles has played in three of the last four days total. With fatigue possibly playing a big part on the side of the Clippers, it would be foolish if the Warriors did not take advantage of their tiredness.
Why The Clippers Could Cover The Spread
In addition to being one of the hottest teams in the league along with playing this contest in front of their home faithful, one main advantage that the Clippers have coming into this one will be coming away with steals and forcing turnovers at a high rate. Believe it or not, but Los Angeles accounts for 8.7 steals per game which ranks as the third-best mark in all of basketball. Simply put, the Clippers use active hands on the defensive side of the court and are not afraid to get their noses dirty when need be.
Without a doubt, forcing turnovers consistently and at a high rate in this one could be just what the doctor ordered, but the scalding hot play of Kawhi Leonard has also been a slight for sore eyes for Clippers fans. Over the course of his last three games combined, the 32-year-old All-Pro has been on fire with his shot en route to scoring a whopping 106 points in his last three contests overall. Since fellow star Paul George is listed as questionable for this matchup due to a bum groin, it may end up being Leonard who carries the load in the scoring department, especially with his masterful mid-range ability.
Indeed, a big reason for LA's turnaround this season has been their tenacity on defense especially when it comes to guarding the perimeter. Currently, the Clippers only allow opposing offenses to shoot a measly 34% from downtown which only spells trouble for a Warriors squad that loves to fill the stat sheet with three-point attempts. If the Clippers can limit the damage inflicted by the Warriors in this facet of the game, then the Clippers will be in good shape.
Final Warriors-Clippers Prediction & Pick
Although both of these teams have aspirations that are nothing short of winning championships, the Clippers are the more well-rounded team at the moment and are tough to beat at home.
Final Warriors-Clippers Prediction & Pick: Clippers -5.5 (-106)
