Filip Tomic
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The Battle of LA is always a staple on the NBA calendar and tonight we are getting Part 1 of the series as the two teams lock horns. You can catch the game live from 10:00 pm ET on TNT, and to add to the drama, we’ve come up with a Same Game Parlay.
Make sure you also check our NBA Predictions as well as our our Milwaukee Bucks vs Philadelphia 76ers picks for the first game of the TNT doubleheader. Let’s get into it!
Los Angeles Clippers -7.5 alternate spread (+120)
Russell Westbrook under 0.5 threes (+162)
Paul George over 4.5 assists (+108)
Same Game Parlay odds: +905
Los Angeles Clippers -7.5 alternate spread over Los Angeles Lakers (+120)
As much as Lakers fans want to push the narrative that they are still the best team in town, I am not exactly sure that statement is accurate these days. Sure, they did win the title a couple of years ago, but if we look at head-to-head meetings, the Clippers are currently on a 7-game win streak and are winning those games by an average of 11.1 points. The Lakers’ lack of depth and horrible defense were exposed in the loss at Golden State and I just don’t see how either of those two things get fixed in time for tonight’s game.
We can already hear rumblings that Russell Westbrook is unhappy with the idea of coming off the bench and the Lakers look to be all over the place. The Clippers get a healthy Kawhi Leonard and Paul George back and tonight they have an opportunity to send out a message that they mean business this season. Back the Clippers to win the first of four meetings with their cross-town rivals.
Be sure to check out our full LA Clippers vs LA Lakers predictions
Russell Westbrook under 0.5 made threes (+162)
As Charles Barkley said the other day, the Lakers have completely taken the joy out of playing basketball for Russell Westbrook. He did finish with a decent stat line against the Warriors, scoring 19 points and grabbing 11 rebounds, but I wouldn’t put too much weight on those numbers as the game was never really in doubt for Golden State. It’s quite evident that Russ doesn’t fit in with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, so a trade appears to be the best solution for all parties involved.
Westbrook’s three-point shooting is something that’s plagued him his entire career. Last season, he had long stretches where he couldn’t buy a bucket from deep and he finished the year shooting just 29.8% from three. Against the Clippers, he is 0-for-5 in the last 2 meetings from downtown which isn’t surprising considering they are a top 5 team when it comes to defending the three-point line. Opponents have converted on just 34.5% of threes against the Clippers since 2021, so I believe backing Russ not to make one is a solid bet, especially at these odds.
Paul George over 4.5 assists (+108)
In his last 2 games against the Lakers, George was able to collect 5 and 9 dimes which resulted in his team winning by 4 and 24 points. I think there’s a really good chance he has a similar output tonight as the Clippers could be without their starting point guard Reggie Jackson, who has a minor groin issue. If Jackson isn’t able to play, John Wall is expected to step into the starting lineup, but the majority of ball-handling duties should transfer to either George or Leonard.
With all the injuries to the Clippers roster in recent years, George has completely adapted his game and is basically a point forward at this point of his career. In 31 games played last year, he averaged 5.7 assists per game and I expect him to keep it around that number this season as well. After all, he did say he has no issue being the 2nd fiddle to Leonard, who is expected to be the primary scoring option on offense.
Make sure you also read our Milwaukee Bucks vs Philadelphia 76ers Same Game Parlay (+1005 odds!)
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