L.A. Clippers at Oklahoma City Thunder
Time: 8 PM ET
TV: ESPN
Spread: OKC -6.5
Total: 211
M/L: OKC -275; LAC +235
Betting odds c/o Bovada
The L.A. Clippers are 41-23 and 17-14 on the road this season and will travel to face the Oklahoma City Thunder in an ESPN televised contest Wednesday (Mar 11) night. NBA live betting lines at Bovada showed the Thunder as 6.5 point favorites in the contest with the betting total set at 211. For an explanation of how to bet these odds, please see the NBA odds explained here at Maddux Sports.
The Clippers have won six of its past 10 SU, including having knocked off the Minnesota Timberwolves 89-76 on Monday (Mar 9) night. The Clips got 26 points from shooting guard J.J. Redick, who has filled his niche as the Clippers sharpshooter quite well. Redick is averaging 15 points and posting a 14.8 PER in 30.5 minutes a night while knocking down 42.5 percent of his three-point shots, and attempting 5.7 triples per game. The Clips are playing without All-Star forward Blake Griffin who is still recovering from a staph infection.
In Griffin’s stead, Chris Paul has elevated his production considerably. Over the past 10 games, Paul has seen 36.3 minutes per night while averaging 21 points and 12.6 assists per game. He’s shooting 51.5 percent from the field and also snagging over four rebounds per game. He has been battling a knee injury but confirmed today that he would play, telling ESPN’s Arash Markazi that he would “be okay.”
Paul is a tough veteran and there’s no reason to expect the knee to slow him down in a game he knows the Clippers need to win. L.A. holds just a 1/2 game lead over No. 6 San Antonio, and the Clippers will want to retain the No. 5 spot to face a Portland team now without its starting shooting guard Wesley Matthews. Falling to the No. 6 spot would give the Clippers a tough first round matchup against the Houston Rockets.
The Clippers are 1-2 against Houston and will face the team next Mar 15 on ABC. The game will prove to be a confidence builder potentially, as the Clippers face Dallas sandwiched between and including tonight’s opponent, all three teams are contenders. The Clips need Griffin back though. Spencer Hawes and Glen Davis are wildly inefficient and combined to shoot 6 of 17 from the floor in the Clippers 106-98 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Mar 8.
Hawes frequently drifts in and out of games, and while Davis plays his rear off, he’s just not that good. Matt Barnes is a solid glue guy, but for the Clippers to win right now it needs very top notch production from its backcourt rotation of Paul, Jamal Crawford and Redick.
For the OKC Thunder, the story has been the sensational play of point guard Russell Westbrook, who compiled four straight triple doubles and is AVERAGING a triple double over his last nine games. He’s shot 44.2 percent from the floor while tallying 34.3 points, 11.4 assists and 10.2 rebounds per game. He had 30 points and 17 assists in the Thunder’s victory over the Toronto Raptors Sunday (Mar 8) night, and the Thunder held a plus-16 advantage on the boards.
OKC is the best rebounding team in the league and Enes Kanter is proving to be worth his weight in gold. He’s given the Thunder a legitimate post up presence and shot 9 of 14 from the floor for 21 points to go with 12 rebounds in the victory Sunday.
Serge Ibaka has also continued to provide increased offense in Kevin Durant’s absence. Over his past 10 contests he’s shot 55.5 percent from the floor to score 17.3 points per game while also grabbing 10 boards and blocking 3.4 shots per contest. The power forward has been capable of this kind of production, but only receives the opportunities when Durant or Westbrook are out. Typically, his 12-14 points per game are more humbly received, but Ibaka can score when he sets his mind to it. His 16.7 PER speaks no volumes as to the great impact he has on the Thunder.
