Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Clippers Betting Preview
Where: Staples Center — Los Angeles, California
When: Monday, March 6, 2017, 10:30 PM ET
Line: Boston Celtics (+7) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (-7); total: 217.0 – view all NBA lines here
TV Broadcast: TNT
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Betting on the Boston Celtics (40-23)
Isaiah Thomas gathered a game-high 35 points, including five three-pointers, on Sunday night at Phoenix but Boston didn’t get the win. He actually cost them the game with a late turnover in the final seconds of the fourth quarter, which led to this dramatic game-winning three from the Suns’ Tyler Ulis.
That was the fourth loss in seven games for the Celtics, who are now three games short of the top seed in the east. Thomas and co. head back to California for a regular-season finale with the Clippers, whom they’ve already beaten last January, 107-102, at the TD Garden.
All Boston starters scored in double digits there, with Thomas’ 28 points leading the way. But the Clips were playing without Chris Paul at that time, and with him part of the fray in this rematch, expect things to be tight and more intense.
Boston puts up almost the same amount of points as it allows to its opponents, while the same could be said for LA. The Celtics, though, are 6-4 SU and ATS in their last 10 road games and have won two of the past three meetings in this matchup.
Betting on the Los Angeles Clippers (37-25)
LA got a much-needed win on Saturday night in Chicago, where the Clippers leaned on reigning Sixth Man of the Year, Jamal Crawford, who came alive with 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting and helped his team snap a two-game skid.
Chris Paul and Blake Griffin added 17 and 16 points, respectively, on a rare night where the Clippers’ defense, which yields 104.9 points per game this season, also paved the way to victory. They held the Bulls to just 91 points on 42.2 percent shooting and forced 19 turnovers.
It’s unlikely, however, that that kind of defense will show up against the Celtics, one of the highest scoring teams in the league right now. The Clips will need to rely on their own offensive game (107.8 PPG) to snatch a win tonight.
Griffin leads Los Angeles with 22.0 points per game this season, including a 20.5 scoring average in his career against Boston. The Clippers are 6-4 SU and 4-6 ATS in their last 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction
Clippers (-7) win it, 113-108.
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