The Los Angeles Clippers (20-15) visit the Toronto Raptors (15-18) on Tuesday night. Action tips off at 7:40 pm ET. Below we continue our NBA odds series with a Clippers-Raptors prediction and pick.
Los Angles has won three of their last four games to push them into fourth place in the Western Conference. The Clippers are 18-17 against the spread while 60% of their games have gone under the projected point total. Toronto has won two straight but finds themselves in just 10th place in the Eastern Conference. The Raptors are 17-16 against the spread while 55% of their games have gone over. This will be the first of two games between the teams this season. Last year Toronto took both games.
Here are the Clippers-Raptors NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Clippers-Raptors Odds
Los Angeles Clippers: +4.5 (-114)
Toronto Raptors: -4.5 (-106)
Over: 219 (-110)
Under: 219 (-110)
Why The Clippers Could Cover The Spread
Fresh off yet another miraculous comeback, the Clippers enter the second night of a back-to-back as sizable road underdogs. This is despite them having a significantly better record than Toronto. This can be mostly attributed to the lineup inconsistency from LA as it's never clear until game time who the Clippers are trotting out onto the court. That being said, star Kawhi Leonard sat last night and is expected to be active tonight – giving the Clipper a huge boost.
With Leonard expected to play, the Clippers transform from an average to an elite team. Kawhi doesn't have an eye-popping stat line as the former Finals MVP has averaged 16.3 PPG in 27.4 minutes per game. He is shooting just 46.3% from the field and 24.5% from three – both career lows. Even so, LA held a 10-3 record with Leonard in the lineup this season. The Clippers have won 71% of the games Kawhi has played in over the last three seasons. Regardless of how healthy he is, Kawhi is a winning player who single-handily gives the Clippers a great chance to cover the spread tonight. Additionally, this will be Kawhi's first time playing in Toronto since winning the championship with them in 2019. That could perhaps serve as some added motivation for him to have a big night and lead his current team to victory.
Regardless of Leonard's production, the Clippers are well-positioned to cover tonight thanks to the play of Paul George. George has performed admirably this season with all the injury drama around Kawhi and is the biggest reason they've maintained their status in the Western Conference Standings. He averages a team-high 23.7 PPG while also chipping in 6.1 RPG and 5.2 APG. George is a lethal shooter from beyond the arc where he averages 2.9 threes per game and hits them at a 37% clip. PG-13 is coming off a monster night in their win over Detroit. In the OT dub, George scored 32 points (9-19) and dished out 11 assists. Toronto is a solid defensive team, but given George's recent play he should remain a strong contributor tonight.
Why The Raptors Could Cover The Spread
While Toronto is further down the Eastern Conference standings than usual, they remain a solid competitor and a team no one is happy to see on their schedule. However, if they want to cover a hefty home spread against a strong Clippers team they'll need their offense to keep up with their elite defense. The Raptors rank seventh in points allowed, but just 20th in scoring. The Clippers have a similarly defensive-minded profile – meaning Toronto will need their offense to show up tonight if they want to cover.
Toronto's offense revolves primarily around do-it-all forward Pascal Siakam. Siakam finds himself in the midst of a career year. Siakam averages a career-high 26.2 PPG, as well as 8.5 RPG, and 6.9 APG. He's shooting 48% from the field and has done a great job getting to the free-throw line. After hovering around 5 FTA per game for his career, he's now taking eight attempts per game. He's become an all-around force for Toronto and has proven the ability to single-handily carry them to cover games. Siakam has been on a roll in recent games, scoring 38, 52, and 26 points in his last three games. He's also chipped in an average of 10.3 rebounds and 7.3 assists in those games. He averaged 28 points and 15 rebounds against the Clippers last season – setting him up for another strong performance tonight.
Final Clippers-Raptors Prediction & Pick
Assuming Kawhi is playing tonight, I love this spot for the Clippers. Despite Toronto's improved play, LA is a whole different tier of a contender when Leonard and George are healthy. The under could also be in play.
Final Clippers-Raptors Prediction & Pick: Los Angeles Clippers +4.5 (-114) & Under 219 (-110)
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