Two of the top teams in the Western Conference will put on a show under the Tuesday night lights as the Oklahoma City Thunder take on the Los Angeles Clippers. It's time to continue our NBA odds series with a Thunder-Clippers prediction and pick.
Currently, in the midst of a four-game winning streak, the Oklahoma City Thunder are on an absolute roll. At the moment, the Thunder are tied for first place in the Western Conference. Fresh off of a 12-point home win over the Orlando Magic, does Oklahoma City have what it takes to continue to showcase that they are a legitimate contender in the wild, wild, west?
Meanwhile, the new-look LA Clippers are also beginning to hit their stride as a team with a 25-14 mark overall. Despite dropping a tight contest at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Clippers should still be ready to play in front of a raucous home crowd.
Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Thunder-Clippers Odds
Oklahoma City Thunder: +6.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +210
Los Angeles Clippers: -6.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -255
Over: 235.5 (-110)
Under: 235.5 (-110)
How to Watch Thunder vs. Clippers
Time: 10:00 ET/7:00 PT
TV: NBA League Pass
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Thunder Could Cover The Spread
Not only are the Thunder young and brash, but they are quickly transforming themselves into a formidable force night in and night out.
All in all, the most dangerous part of this OKC squad is their ability to put up points in a hurry. In the last showdown between these two squads, it was the Thunder that ended up dropping a whopping 134 points in the 19-point OKC win back on Dec. 21st. Believe it or not, but the Thunder have managed to score at least 125 points in three of their last four games and are simply clicking on all cylinders when possessing the basketball. On paper, the Thunder average the third-most points in the league at 122.5 per game and could give the Clippers fits when this game is all said and done.
Most importantly, the biggest element of this showdown will be OKC's ability to keep their turnovers down to a minimum. In fact, no team in the NBA commits fewer giveaways than this Thunder team. If all things go as planned, it will be an absolute must for OKC to generate high-percentage offensive looks without being careless with the basketball.
Not to mention, but be on the lookout for the availability of superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who has recently been diagnosed with a right knee sprain. As it stands, he'll be questionable for Jan. 15th's matchup against the Lakers and if he can't go versus the Clippers, then other names on the Thunder roster will need to step up in a big way.
Why The Clippers Could Cover The Spread
Throughout the 53-year history of the Los Angeles Clippers, the organization has never reached a conference finals let alone hoist an NBA Championship. However, the Clippers may have their best shot to make a deep run come postseason time this season. With the amount of star power that resides within the roster, the sky is truly the limit for head coach Tyrone Lue and his troops.
After falling flat on their faces in the loss to the Timberwolves, there's no doubt that the Clippers want to exact their revenge on another Western Conference contender in the Thunder. For starters, if LA wants to give their fans a treat by downing one of the hottest team in the league, they will need to be on their A game. This includes playing much more effective defense and finding a way to not get lazy on their defensive assignments. In the loss to Minnesota, it was Los Angeles that surrendered a 56% shooting clip including letting the T-Wolves hit half their shots from beyond the arc. At the end of the day, if the Thunder strikes while the iron is hot in the form of their shooting, then it will be challenging for the Clippers to keep their head above water in this one.
In addition to the defense needing to be much improved, being out-rebounded for the second consecutive game against a conference contender won't lead to a recipe for success. Furthermore, the importance of Ivica Zubac putting together a stellar performance in the paint will be a must. While there is plenty of star power for the basketball to go around on this Clippers roster, the effectiveness of Zubac down-low will be critical. If he can corral a hefty amount of rebounds while being a pest in the scoring department, then the Clippers' chances to win should only increase.
Final Thunder-Clippers Prediction & Pick
In this epic showdown between a pair of teams with championship aspirations, even the craziest things may occur. However, it is most likely wise to side with the Clippers at home especially considering LA hasn't lost back-to-back games in close to a month.
Final Thunder-Clippers Prediction & Pick: Clippers -6.5 (-110)