The Portland Trail Blazers look to end their five-game losing streak as they play host to the visiting Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night. It's time to continue the NBA odds series with a Clippers Blazers prediction and pick while we also tell you how to watch.
The Blazers are on a five-game losing streak and have seen their record fall to 31-39. Their playoff hopes are barely hanging on as they are three games back with only 12 games left in the season. In their defense, the Blazers played the Boston Celtics twice, the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers in four of those five games during the losing streak.
The Clippers took a loss Saturday against the Orlando Magic, moving their record to 37-34 and ending a four-game win streak. The Western Conference playoff picture is a tight race, and the Clippers are right in the middle of it. If the season ended today, they would be in the playoffs, free of the play-in tournament. However, the Utah Jazz are sitting in 10th place and just two and a half games back of the Clippers.
These two teams will be playing their second of three games this season. The last time the Blazers and Clippers matched up was back in November in a game that saw the Clippers beat the Blazers 118-112.
Here are the Clippers-Blazers NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Clippers-Blazers Odds
Los Angeles Clippers: -3.5 (-112)
Portland Trail Blazers: +3.5 (-108)
Over: 235.5 (-110)
Under: 235.5 (-110)
How To Watch Clippers vs. Blazers
TV: Bally Sports San Diego, Bally Sports SoCal, Root Sports Northwest
Stream: NBA League Pass
Time: 9 PM ET/6PM PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Clippers Could Cover The Spread
Every game from here on is an important one for Los Angeles, and they will need to have big games from Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. George and Leonard are the two top scorers on the team, averaging 23.8 points per game each. It is still unsure if Leonard will play in Sunday's matchup, but after sitting out Saturday, it is expected he will suit up. The Clippers have seen their star duo play just 36 games together this season, but they are 23-13 when it does happen. It will be hard to beat the Clippers when both Leonard and George play.
The Clippers do not do a great job at forcing turnovers, but the Blazers do give the ball away a decent amount. Increasing defensive pressure and causing the Blazers to make mistakes is going to be key to getting a win Sunday night.
Why The Blazers Could Cover The Spread
Damian Lillard has been one of the best players in the NBA all season, but especially in the month of March. He has scored 34.3 points per game this month, which is second-best in the NBA. To go along with scoring, Lillard has averaged 7.1 assists and 7.0 rebounds per game this month. What is more impressive are his stats at home this season. Lillard averages 34.5 points, 7.0 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game when playing in Portland this year. It can be expected that Lillard will score 30 points Sunday, and he will have to if the Blazers want to pull out the win. The Blazers will not have their third-leading scorer Sunday night in Jerami Grant, so Anfernee Simons, Cam Reddish and Jusuf Nurkic will have to pick up the slack.
Portland ranks in the top 10 in 3-point percentage this season. They knock down 37.3 percent of their triples and will need to get hot from beyond the arc if they want to win this game. The Blazers can win this game, but they will need more than just Damian Lillard to do so.
Final Clippers-Blazers Prediction & Pick
When Kawhi Leonard and Paul George play, the Clippers are one of the better teams in the league. Assuming they both play, the Clippers should have no problem winning this game. Despite Lillard's ability to put up 30+ points on a nightly basis, the Clippers have a more balanced attack offensively. However, Kawhi Leonard not playing in this one could swing this outcome the other way. For now, I will roll with the Clippers to cover the spread.
Final Clippers-Blazers Prediction & Pick: Clippers -3.5 (-112) Over 235.5 (-110)
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