Clippers vs. Warriors Prediction: Playoff Seeding Showdown (April 13)

Los Angeles Clippers (49-32 SU, 46-35 ATS) vs. Golden State Warriors (48-33 SU, 42-37 ATS)

When: Sunday, April 13th, 3:30 PM (ET)

Where: Chase Center, CA, San Francisco

TV: ESPN

Point Spread: LAL +3/GS -3 (Make sure you’re betting at reduced odds!)

Total: 218

Money Line: Los Angeles Clippers +128/-149

Notable Injuries

Clippers

• Nicolas Batum (Out) Groin
• Patty Mills (Out) Illness

Warriors

• Stephen Curry (Questionable) Thumb

At 3:30 ET, the Golden State Warriors (-149) will host the Los Angeles Clippers (+128) at Chase Center. ESPN will broadcast this Western Pacific Division matchup.

Golden State (-3) is currently 6th in the Western Conference, while the Clippers (+3) are 5th. The over/under line for the game is 218, and the Clippers come in on a 7-game win streak.

Recent Form

The Clippers improved to 49-32 on the season with a narrow 101-100 win over the Kings on Friday. Despite being favored by 7.5 points, L.A. didn’t cover the spread, and the game’s total of 201 points fell well short of the 224.5-point line.

A 13-0 run helped the Clippers extend their lead from 49-45 to 62-45, but Sacramento battled back, outscoring L.A. 30-26 in the 4th quarter.

The Warriors improved to 48-33 on the season with a 103-86 road win over the Trail Blazers on Friday. Golden State, favored by 15.5 points, covered the spread, while the game’s total of 189 points fell well short of the 221.5-point line.

Golden State’s defense was key, as they went on a 14-0 run early, stretching the score from 20-16 to 34-16. They held Portland to 17 points in the 2nd quarter and 20 in the 3rd, leading 77-57 going into the 4th. Although the Blazers outscored them 29-26 in the final quarter, the Warriors’ lead was too much to overcome.

The Historicals

Over the last five head-to-head meetings, the Clippers have averaged 113 points per game compared to 106 for Golden State. This has led to an ATS record of 5-0 for Los Angeles. In these contests, they averaged a combined 219 points per game, leading to an over-under mark of 2-3.

Analysis

The Clippers shot 51.3% from the field in their 101-100 win over the Kings but struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just seven threes at a 33.3% clip. Kawhi Leonard led the way with 28 points, including 14 in the 2nd quarter, while James Harden added 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.

Ivica Zubac contributed 17 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 80% from the field. Norman Powell scored 10 of his 16 points in the 1st quarter, and Derrick Jones added 9 of his 11 points in the 4th.

The Clippers’ defense was solid against the Kings, allowing 100 points on 43% shooting. They gave up 29 points in the 1st quarter but tightened up in the 2nd and 3rd, allowing just 20 and 21 points, respectively. The Kings scored 30 in the 4th, but the Clippers held on for the win.

From three-point range, the Clippers limited the Kings to 10 made threes on 32% shooting. Sacramento went 16/17 from the free-throw line. The Clippers finished with 30 defensive rebounds, gave up 11 offensive boards, and added six steals and two blocks.

Jimmy Butler III led the Warriors to a win over the Trail Blazers, scoring 24 points and dishing out seven assists. He was particularly effective in the 3rd and 4th quarters, scoring 9 points in each. Buddy Hield added 16 points, with nine coming in the opening quarter, while Stephen Curry contributed 14 points, including 6 in the 2nd quarter.

The Warriors shot just 39.8% from the field and 31.8% from three-point range, hitting 14 threes in the game. Hield connected on four threes, shooting 40% from beyond the arc, while Curry made two threes at 25% efficiency.

The Warriors’ defense was stellar on Friday, holding the Trail Blazers to just 86 points. They were especially strong in the 2nd quarter, giving up only 17 points. Overall, they limited Portland to 37% shooting from the field.

Golden State was excellent at defending the three, allowing just 6 made threes on 20% shooting. They also racked up 15 steals and seven blocks in the game.

Betting Trends

• In their last ten games away from home, the Clippers have a straight-up record of 6-4 while going 6-4 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 115 points per game in these contests.
• Golden State has played well in their previous three home games, going 3-0 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 119 points per game while allowing 99. The team also performed well vs the spread at 3-0.
• Looking back on the team’s last ten games as the underdog, the Clippers have a straight-up record of 3-7. Their record vs the spread in these games was 6-4.
• Through their last three games as the favorite, the Warriors have an ATS record of 2-1 and a straight-up mark of 2-1.

Joe’s Pick To Cover The Spread

On the final day of the NBA regular season, this one has some playoff implications, as the Clippers need a win to make sure they don’t fall into a play-in game, while the Warriors would also like to avoid having to be placed in a play-in game. Currently, the Warriors are a -3 point favorite, and I see them picking up this win and covering, likely bumping the Clippers down to the 7th seed.