Clippers vs. Warriors Odds, Preview, Prediction: Over or Under 227.5 Points?
Clippers vs. Warriors Odds
| Clippers Odds | +3 |
| Warriors Odds | -3 |
| Over/Under | 227.5 |
| Date | Thursday, Oct. 21 |
| Time | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | TNT |
On Thursday evening, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors will battle at the Staples Center. After years of championship appearances as the most dominant team in the NBA, the departure of Kevin Durant and the absence of Klay Thompson have kept Golden State from making a deep postseason run each of the last two seasons. Yet, they took down the star-studded Los Angeles Lakers on opening night. The Clippers will be without Kawhi Leonard for the foreseeable future, which completely changes the expectations for an otherwise championship-caliber roster. Oddsmakers are anticipating that the Warriors will stay hot to begin the 2021-22 season, pricing Golden State as three-point home favorites on the spread.
Let’s take a closer look at NBA betting tips for this matchup and see where bettors can find value at sportsbooks for this late game on TNT.
Los Angeles Clippers +3
Having no Leonard in the lineup, the only player on the active roster tonight for the Clippers to average more than 13.4 points per game last year is Paul George. George should be in for a significantly higher workload this season as the unambiguous top scoring option for this offense. Nicolas Batum and Serge Ibaka are also listed as out for this contest on the official injury report, leaving Marcus Morris and Reggie Jackson as the likely second and third options for the Clippers in this one.
During the 2020-2021 regular season, the Clippers ranked eighth in defensive efficiency, but losing Leonard hurt them on this end of the floor tremendously in the postseason. In the playoffs, the Clippers allowed an additional 3.9 points per 100 possessions compared to the regular season, despite the fact that the NBA postseason is notorious for significantly more intense defense. Even against a Golden State team that is far from elite on the offensive end of the floor, the Clippers could struggle to keep points off of the board in this one.
Golden State Warriors -3
Stephen Curry was outstanding a season ago, leading the league in scoring with 32.0 points per game, in addition to securing 5.5 rebounds and dishing out 5.8 assists per night. Last year, Curry had no legitimate second scorer on the roster, which meant that opposing defenses would throw the kitchen sink at him, forcing him to give up the ball. The Lakers tried to replicate that defensive strategy on Tuesday, but Curry ended up dishing out 10 assists in a winning effort. On opening night, Jordan Poole totaled 20 points and Andrew Wiggins added another 12 points. Golden State’s third-leading scorer from last season, Kelly Oubre, departed in free agency, so an increased offensive output from Poole would be a tremendous benefit for this roster while they await the return of Klay Thompson. Golden State ranked 20th in the NBA last year in offensive efficiency, scoring 110.5 points per 100 possessions. It could be a struggle for them to score points in this one if they are unable to get consistent production from players other than Curry. Their season opener was a positive start, but it will be interesting to see if unproven young players, such as Poole, can keep up their strong play on a nightly basis.
Defensively, the Warriors are still well-coached, but they gave up an abundance of quick, easy looks on Tuesday. They allowed the Lakers to shoot 46.8 percent of their attempts within the first nine seconds of the shot clock. Golden State ranked fifth in defensive efficiency during the 2020-2021 campaign. This unit should be better going forward than they were on opening night.
Warriors vs. Lakers Prediction
On Tuesday, the Lakers and Warriors played at a blazing-fast pace, in what has been by far the quickest tempo game of the young NBA season through two nights of action. The Warriors are likely to push the pace again on Thursday against the Clippers. Though the Clippers played slowly last year, the absence of Kawhi Leonard, coupled with the fact that Ibaka and Batum being listed out for this contest, should lead to a fast-paced affair. Take the over tonight at the Chase Center.
PICK: Over 227.5 (-110)
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