Western Conference heavyweights lock horns this Friday night when the resurgent Los Angeles Clippers pay the second-best team in the NBA—the San Antonio Spurs—a visit at the AT&T Center. Expect this clash to have a playoff-like atmosphere especially with a lot of history between these two esteemed franchises. Who will emerge victorious tonight?
Read on below for an in-depth breakdown of this Western Conference showdown. And while you’re it, check out our other previews of the Pistons vs. Bulls and Bucks vs. Warriors.
[sc:NBAArticles ]Los Angeles Clippers vs. San Antonio Spurs Betting Preview
Where: AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX
When: Friday, December 18, 2015, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Los Angeles Clippers (+7.5) vs. San Antonio Spurs (-7.5); total: 194.5 – view all NBA lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Los Angeles Clippers (16-10)
It looks like the Clippers have finally found their form. Los Angeles has imposed its will over the past 11 games, going 9-2 in that span. As a result, they’ve catapulted their way to the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference despite still being nine games behind the 25-1 Warriors. The Clippers will now try to sustain this momentum and notch their fourth win in a row when they head to Texas for a marquee matchup with the San Antonio Spurs.
[sc:NBA240banner ]Speaking of momentum, Chris Paul and J.J. Redick will aim to keep rolling as well. Both guards seem to have completely recovered from their recent injuries as they’ve been able to add some much-needed balance into their team’s offense.
Paul, the 30-year-old All-Star point guard, has torched opposing teams with averages of 16.3 points and 11.3 assists in the previous three games. Redick, meanwhile, has greatly benefitted from Paul’s passes as he’s been constantly knocking down jumper after jumper. He’s posting 21.3 points while shooting 55 percent from beyond the arc in the same stretch.
Of course, the team’s leading scorer Blake Griffin (23.9 PPG) cannot be left unmentioned. He’s bound to be a huge impact against the Spurs, who have had a relatively tough time in stopping the 26-year-old power forward. In a span of 16 career games opposite San Antonio, Griffin has contributed solid numbers of 22.1 PPG, 10.1 RPG and 3.1 APG. He also finished with a triple-double (24 points, 13 boards and 10 dimes) during his last meeting (May 2) with their conference rivals.
The Clippers, though, will be heavily tested against a Spurs defense that ranks No. 1 in the league in points allowed (88.2) and No. 2 in opponents’ field goal percentage (41.8).
Los Angeles is 5-5 SU and 3-5-2 ATS in its past 10 road games.
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Betting on the San Antonio Spurs (22-5)
The Spurs are shinning so brightly at home right now. They remained untarnished at AT&T center this season after killing the visiting Washington Wizards, 114-95, last Wednesday night. That win didn’t only extend their current winning run to five, but it also set a franchise record of 23 straight home victories. Kawhi Leonard made sure of this with his game-high of 27 points with three rebounds and four assists.
Leonard and co. will now strive to continue their invincibility at home in a highly-anticipated encounter with Chris Paul and the rest of the Los Angeles Clippers. Their breathtaking defensive prowess will ultimately determine their fate in this one.
In 14 home games this season, the Spurs have beaten their opponents by an average margin of 16.7 points and have held all but one to less than 100 points. They’ll have their work cut out for them though, versus the Clippers, who are posting 102.6 points per contest and have defeated San Antonio in three of their last four meetings.
As for the offense, Leonard, who owns team-bests of 21.0 PPG and 2.1 SPG, will look to lead the charge later. He should have a relatively easy time in doing so since the Clippers are yielding around 100 points per game this season.
Apart from him, the pair of Tony Parker and LaMarcus Aldridge should also be able to contribute productive numbers. Both players are averaging 16.7 and 19.3 points in their respective careers opposite Los Angeles.
Tim Duncan, meanwhile, will be in action after getting the rest against the Wizards. He’ll be entering tonight’s game with career-low averages of 9.0 points and 8.3 rebounds across 24 games this year.
San Antonio is 7-3 ATS in its past 10 games at home.
Writer’s Prediction
Spurs (-7.5) win, 105-101. Create a betting account now and put your NBA predictions to the test!
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