Stephen Curry’s legend continues to grow as the Golden State Warriors have returned to Western Conference prominence, and the welcome addition of Klay Thompson has the Splash Brothers eyeing another title. They’ll visit an underwhelming Los Angeles Clippers team on Monday at 10:30 p.m. ET.
Part of their fall are injuries to their two stars. Kawhi Leonard’s season is reportedly over with a knee injury, and Paul George is out indefinitely with an elbow injury. Still, the Clippers (28-30) find themselves firmly in the play-in tournament as the West’s eighth-best team.
Meanwhile, Golden State (42-15) is comfortably in second as the All-Star break approaches. They opened as 5.5-point favorites and have since gained a half-point. The over/under opened and is still at 222.5 as of this writing.
Los Angeles Clippers Betting Preview
The Clippers made a deadline move to acquire Norman Powell and Robert Covington. However, Powell is out indefinitely, so they will likely be missing his 18.8 points per game, second to George. Los Angeles is 1-3 over its last four since George’s injury.
Still, they will have four scorers in double figures active: Reggie Jackson, Marcus Morris Sr., Luke Kennard, and Terrence Mann.
One of the things holding the Clippers back this season is their offense. They are 25th in the NBA, scoring 106.2 points per game. They are efficient beyond the 3-point line, eighth at 36%. But they simply haven’t been good enough with an average defense.
L.A. is 1-5 against the spread over its last six and 27-31-0 on the season. They’ve fared well at home with a 16-13 record. They are 28-29-1 against over/unders as well.
Golden State Warriors Betting Preview
Many remember the Warriors for their transformational offense, which is still a part of who they are, but their defense has propelled them to the top of the league.
They are third in scoring defense, allowing 103.2 points per game. They have the most efficient defense, forcing teams to convert 43% of field goal attempts and 33.2% on 3s — second-best in the league.
Curry again is off to a ridiculous pace, and he’s had some help. Andrew Wiggins is an All-Star, averaging 18.0 points per game. Jordan Poole has taken a step forward, scoring 16.5 points per game with 3.5 assists.
Klay Thompson is building up and, in 14 games since returning, is averaging 17.9 points per game while shooting 38.9% on 3s.
James Wiseman has yet to make his season debut; Andre Iguodala (back) and Draymond Green (calf) are also out.
Betting Prediction
Golden State is 0-4-1 in its last five against the spread and had a recent nine-game winning streak snapped. They’re up 2-0 in the head-to-head matchup, winning by two at home and 15 at the Crypto.com Arena. For the season, they are 29-24-4 against the spread and 23-33-1 on over/unders.
These teams are trending in opposite directions, and the Warriors are only getting better as Thompson continues to find his rhythm with consistency. It’s hard to see them losing the game, and six points is a lot to give, but they should outmatch a veteran Clippers team.
Prediction: Warriors -6
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