For the second consecutive game, the Los Angeles Clippers will battle it out with the Portland Trail Blazers. Let's check out NBA odds series, where our Clippers-Trail Blazers prediction and pick will be revealed.
Slated as heavy favorites in this one, the Clippers are fresh off a comfortable 116-103 victory over the Blazers on Wednesday night. With the win, LA improved to 43-25 overall which puts them in firm position with the fourth-overall seed out west. Currently, the Clippers lead the Pacific Standings by three games and are occupying the fourth overall seed out west.
Although the season is pretty much lost for the Blazers having been eliminated from playoff contention, the Trail Blazers know at least what to expect when playing the Clippers for a second-straight game. On a four-game losing streak, there is no doubt that Portland would love to put a victory in the win column and get off the schneid. As a whole, the Trail Blazers possess an underwhelming 19-50 and are still in the running to finish with the worst record in the league.
Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Clippers-Trail Blazers Odds
Los Angeles Clippers: -13 (-110)
Moneyline: +640
Portland Trail Blazers: +13 (-110)
Moneyline: -950
Over: 218.5 (-110)
Under: 218.5 (-110)
How to Watch Clippers vs. Trail Blazers
Time: 10:00 ET/7:00 PT
TV: Bally Sports San Diego/Bally Sports SoCal
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Clippers Could Cover The Spread/Win
After snapping a two-game losing streak with the win over Portland, it will be of the utmost importance to keep the ball rolling against the Blazers once again. At the end of the day, it is the Clippers that hold a hefty talent advantage over the Trail Blazers and there will be no excuse for Los Angeles to not take care of business.
Still, crazier things have happened in the wild world of the NBA, and Los Angeles cannot afford to overlook Portland. It all begins with the play of Kawhi Leonard who is obviously the best player on the floor for either side. With a 56% shooting percentage and 24 points to boot, Leonard is a mismatch nightmare for the Blazers. Don't be surprised if he takes advantage of a spotty Portland defense right from the jump.
Above all else, the one element of the game that makes the Clippers so dynamic is in the form of a red-hot three-point shooting percentage. Through 68 games played, the Clippers are shooting a staggering 38.7% from deep. If Portland lets LA get hot from trey land, then it might as well be game over.
Furthermore, Los Angeles rarely lets opposing teams make frequent trips to the free-throw line. In allowing the sixth-fewest free throws per game, give credit to the Clippers for playing swarming defense on a consistent basis.
Why The Trail Blazers Could Cover The Spread/Win
The odds are stacked against them, but why couldn't the Trail Blazers knock off a Western Conference contender on their own home floor?
Well, for starters, it certainly wouldn't help if Portland cannot find a way to stop turning the ball over. In the loss to the Clippers, it was the Blazers that committed a whopping 17 turnovers and failed to develop any sort of rhythm on the offensive end of the floor. For an offense that already struggles as is, this simply cannot happen. Hopefully, for Portland's sake, guard Anfernee Simons could be the team's saving grace as he is their leading scorer and has dropped 30 points in two of his last four games. Keep in mind that the league average in scoring offense is 114 points per game but Portland has not reached that mark in more than six games. Something has to give, right?
Believe it or not, the Trail Blazers happen to have the fourth-highest offensive rebounding rate in the league. Simply put, it will be a must for Portland to crash the glass after every single possession. Since the isolation offense that Portland possesses isn't up to snuff, they will need to maximize as many scoring opportunities as they possibly can. Last time out against the Clippers, the Blazers did happen to out-rebound them, so watch out for head coach Chauncey Billups to make it a point of emphasis for his team to dominate the glass.
Final Clippers-Trail Blazers Prediction & Pick
It is often extremely difficult for teams to beat another on the hardwood in back-to-back outings, but for the Clippers case, they'll prove to be too much to handle for a young and rebuilding Trail Blazers group.
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Final Clippers-Trail Blazers Prediction & Pick: Clippers -13 (-110)
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