Los Angeles Clippers vs. San Antonio Spurs Betting Preview
Wednesday night will feature a Western Conference showdown when the Los Angeles Clippers (28-16) take on the San Antonio Spurs (22-18). The Spurs will host this one at the AT&T Center, with tipoff scheduled for 8:30 pm ET.
The Clippers come into this one on a two-game winning streak after beating the Hawks on Monday, 119-110. With the back-to-back wins, they sit in third in a loaded Western Conference. They are currently four games behind the first-place Utah Jazz and two spots behind the Phoenix Suns.
The Spurs currently sit in seventh in the Western Conference. They are just edging out the Dallas Mavericks by a half a game for the seventh spot. To this point, they have actually played better on the road (12-7) than at home(10-11) and will look to change those fortunes on Wednesday.
The Clippers are the favorite to win this one despite playing on the road. They are -260 to win while the Spurs’ moneyline is +215. The spread features the Spurs +6, and the over/under for total points is 220.
By The Numbers
Offensively, the Clippers have been solid this season. They currently rank 8th averaging 114.8 points per game. The Spurs fall to 22nd, averaging 110 per game.
Defensively, the Clippers once again hold the edge, but it is much closer. Los Angeles ranks 6th in scoring defense, allowing just 109.3 points per game (104.3 over their last three). San Antonio ranks 8th, allowing 110.1 points.
Injury Status
Both teams could be missing some key contributors this Wednesday. For the Clippers, both Serge Ibaka (back) and Patrick Beverley (knee) are questionable.
For San Antonio, Keita Bates-Diop (hamstring) is questionable, while Lonnie Walker IV (wrist) is out.
Clippers Trying To Inch Closer To Top Spots
With two wins in a row, the Clippers could be getting hot at the right time as they try to catch the top two seeds in the West. With back-to-back games against the Spurs tomorrow and Thursday, they could inch closer to the Jazz and Suns with a good week.
Leading the way for the Clippers are forwards Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Leonard leads the team in scoring averaging 25.9 points on 51.2% shooting. He is also averaging 6.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.7 steals per game.
Not to be outdone, George is averaging 22.5 points on 48.1% shooting. He is also racking up six rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.1 steals per game.
Spurs Trying To Hold Ground
Just to exemplify how solid the West is, the Spurs sit in seventh place, and there are still some good teams behind them. With Dallas, Golden State, and Memphis within a couple of games, the Spurs know that every game is pivotal.
The Spurs have been led in scoring this season by DeMar DeRozan. He is averaging 20.6 points on 49.8% shooting. He is also adding 4.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game.
Other notable contributors include Dejounte Murray (15.6 points, seven rebounds, 5.1 assists), Keldon Johnson (13.9 points, 6.5 rebounds), and Patty Mills (12.9 points).
Clippers Too Much For Spurs
While the Clippers have won two in a row, the Spurs have dropped their last two. Also, with LaMarcus Aldridge looking for a trade and Lonnie Walker out, their lineup is a little thin.
At the end of the day, the NBA often comes down to star power, and with both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the Clippers have plenty of it. I like the Clippers to not only win but to cover the six-point spread as well.
