Follow Us
Don’t look now, but a very intriguing inter-conference duel between two scuffling squads is on tap for this evening as the Los Angeles Clippers will travel east to our nation’s capital to do battle with the Washington Wizards. With that being said, let’s take a look at our NBA odds series where our Clippers-Wizards prediction and pick will be made.
Hitting a bit of a bump in the road, the Clippers have reeled off losses in four of five matchups during their four-game road trip and will head into their visiting finale looking to find a way to come out victorious. With a record of 14-13 record in the team’s first 27 games, can LA put together a solid outing to get them headed in the right direction in Washington D.C.?
Things could not possibly be worse for the Wizards, as Washington is in the midst of a dreadful losing streak that has now reached a whopping five games. Whether it’s being unable to score frequently enough to win or stringing together poor efforts on the defensive side of the floor, is tonight the night that Washington finally reverses the losing trend?
Here are the Clippers-Wizards NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Clippers-Wizards Odds
Los Angeles Clippers: -5 (-110)
Washington Wizards: +5 (-110)
Over: 219 (-110)
Under: 219 (-110)
Why The Clippers Could Cover The Spread
For starters, it hasn’t always been pretty for the Clippers of late, and the entire season for that matter, but Los Angeles certainly has more than a few options out on the court that are capable of taking over a game in the blink of an eye. At first glance, the Clippers’ chances to come away with a covering of the spread could depend on the impact of point guard John Wall. Of course, Wall spent nine seasons donning the red, white, and blue color scheme of the Wizards where he made a household name for himself with 19 points per game to go along with 9.2 assists per contest as well.
No doubt about it, Wall has struggled significantly with injuries over the years that have taken a toll on his body, but as it stands, the 32-year-old is averaging a respectable 13 points a game in a more reserved roll off the bench. However, with starter Reggie Jackson expected to get the night off due to rest, Wall could be a major factor in this one if he can provide some spectacular minutes as the team’s starting point guard.
Outside of Wall, the Clippers’ best chances to cover will be because of their top player on the floor. With Kawhi Leonard continuing to be extra cautious with his right knee, it will be up to Paul George to put on a show out on the east coast. In the loss to the Heat on Thursday, George turned out to be Los Angeles’ leading scorer with 29 points on an extremely efficient 10/20 shooting.
Why The Wizards Could Cover The Spread
Similarly to the Clippers, the Wizards will also enter play shorthanded as star shooting guard Bradley Beal was recently sidelined with a hamstring injury and won’t be reevaluated again for another week or so. Even though LA is also not 100% for this one, the Wizards’ roster makeup is not built to have their best players missing for a lengthy amount of time. With no Beal, it will be vital for Washington to play a strong brand of team basketball that gets multiple playmakers opportunities to make some plays.
In order to accomplish such a feat, there is no question that the Wizards have to take extra good care of the basketball when it is in their possession. Since this will be the second game of a back-to-back for Washington after having played yesterday versus the Pacers, fatigue may set in during the later stages but by no means is an excuse for the Wizards to get sloppy. With an uncharacteristic 14 turnovers last night, Washington has surprisingly committed the fourth-fewest turnovers in the league and doesn’t often shoot themselves in the foot despite their overall record sitting at 11-15.
Being smart on the court will be key, but possibly even more important will be the play of Kristaps Porzingis. Without a doubt, the former New York Knick and Dallas Maverick is Washington’s top-scoring threat as of now on this team and will need to carry a big portion of the load to lead the Wizards tonight. Fortunately, it appears that the 27-year-old center from Latvia has been up to the task as he is coming off three-consecutive games of at least 25 points and nine rebounds. Clearly, the more the Wizards revolve the offense around Porzingis, the more successful they will ultimately find.
Final Clippers-Wizards Prediction & Pick
While the story of this game may be different if both sides were 100% healthy, it would be wise to give the Clippers the slight edge in this one due to the possibility of John Wall balling out against his former team and the fact that LA has achieved a slightly better record against the spread thus far this season.
Final Clippers-Wizards Prediction & Pick: Clippers -5 (-110)