[sc:NBA250 ]LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers were embarrassed by the Golden State Warriors in a 132-98 beatdown on Monday night. They quickly rebounded with a dominant 91-78 win at Brooklyn last night. The win let the Cavaliers rest a handful of their stars in the fourth quarter. Having an extended rest should give them plenty of gas left in the tank when they welcome the Los Angeles Clippers to the Land tonight.
The Clippers are missing star power forward Blake Griffin. But having one of the league’s best three-point shooters, J.J. Redick, as well as All-Stars Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan should still give them plenty of pop in Cleveland.
It’s going to be a blockbuster showdown between East and West and the Cavaliers and Clippers collide. Get some more NBA action to suit your fancy with our complete previews for the Spurs vs. Suns and Hawks vs. Kings.
[sc:NBAArticles ]Los Angeles Clippers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Preview
Where: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland
When: Thursday, January 21, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Los Angeles Clippers at Cleveland Cavaliers – view all NBA lines
Betting on the Los Angeles Clippers (27-14)
After seeing the Cavaliers get torched by 19 three-pointers by Golden State, the Los Angeles Clippers have to be very confident about J.J. Redick’s scorching hand. Redick is arguably the league’s best three-point shooter right now, and has been a devastating weapon in Blake Griffin’s absence. The Clippers’shooting guard is averaging 20.2 points and shooting 58.6 percent on three-pointers in the past 11 games without Griffin.
[sc:NBA240banner ]Redick was phenomenal in the Clippers’ latest outing, erupting for 40 points as he shot 9 of 12 from beyond the arc in a 140-132 overtime win against Houston on Monday. He’s shooting a league-best 50 percent from three-point range. His 0.473 points per touch it tops among all starters in the NBA.
Redick played just one game against the Cavaliers last season, making 4 of 6 three-pointers. He could explode for another big outing considering he’s running mates with one of the best point guards in the league, Chris Paul.
Paul has been deadly with his ability to score as well as find his teammates for assists. He’s averaging 21.6 points and 9.8 assists in his last five games. The Clippers point guard has been solid against the Cavaliers in the past five games, averaging 14.2 points and 12.4 assists in those matchups.
While Paul and Redick can tear it up from the backcourt, DeAndre Jordan should be a force to be reckoned with in the front. He hasn’t lost a step after missing two games due to pneumonia, posting his ninth straight double-double with 16 points and 15 rebounds against Houston.
The Clippers are 6-0 SU/ATS in their last six games against Eastern Conference opponents.
Betting on the Cleveland Cavaliers (29-11)
LeBron James and Kevin Love will be fresh for this big game against the Clippers. Love scored 17 points and grabbed 18 rebounds, while James also scored 17 points before both sat out the entire fourth quarter of a 91-78 win at Brooklyn Wednesday night.
Love may be due for a big game against the Clippers, who will be without power forward Blake Griffin. He’s averaged 24.4 points and 14.4 rebounds in his last five games against the Clippers. He only had one game against Los Angeles while with the Cavaliers last season; he was one rebound short of a double-double while scoring 24 points.
James has also been spectacular in his last four games against the Clippers, averaging 26 points, 6.8 rebounds and 8.5 assists in those matchups. It’ll be up to the King to set-up his teammates for success against the visiting Clippers.
While Love and James are good enough for Cleveland, Kyrie Irving further solidifies the team if he can play up to his All-Star-caliber self. Irving has averaged 18.6 points and 5.4 assists in his last five outings against the Clippers. He’s been a step slow recently, averaging 8.5 points and four rebounds in his last two outings.
The Cavaliers are 4-2 ATS in their last six games at home.
Writer’s Prediction
The Cavaliers take a tightly-contested victory over Los Angeles.
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