76ers vs. Clippers odds, prediction, pick: Bet on Philly to win third straight road game
The Philadelphia 76ers are healthy and winning. The Los Angeles Clippers are banged up and reeling.
Yet when the two teams square off Tuesday night for the second time in less than a month — this time in Los Angeles — the Clippers will hit the court as a slight favorite.
The primary reason for that? L.A. has a situational advantage. The Clippers are playing their fifth straight home game, while Philadelphia is playing its third road game in four days.
However, the 76ers didn’t have to travel for this one, as they played the Lakers in the same building Sunday night. Philly escaped with a 113-112 victory, one day after slipping past Utah 118-117.
With those two wins in the bank, the Sixers on Tuesday will attempt to win three straight on the highway for just the second time this season (the first coming back in late October). Meanwhile, Los Angeles — which is coming off Sunday’s 121-100 win over Houston — will be trying to win consecutive games for the first time in three weeks.
Which side will accomplish its mission? Our 76ers vs. Clippers prediction favors the visitors.
Odds updated as of 1:45 p.m. ET on Jan. 17.
76ers vs. Clippers Prediction: Pick
76ers vs. Clippers Prediction: Analysis
Before diving into the rationale for backing Philly, a quick note: Despite the three-games-in-four-days situation, all indications are the Sixers’ full roster will be in uniform Tuesday night.
That includes Joel Embiid and James Harden. Of course, that could change in the hours leading up to tipoff. So our advice is to monitor any load-management reports that might hit the newswire before placing a wager on the 76ers.
As for this matchup, the only thing not working in Philadelphia’s favor is that heavy recent workload. But we’re confident the 76ers will be in good shape, as nobody played excessive minutes against the Jazz or Lakers.
While on the topic of playing time, Clippers forward Paul George hasn’t had any in 12 days. L.A.’s leading scorer (23.7 ppg) has missed five straight games since injuring his hamstring against Denver on Jan. 5.
George is officially listed as questionable Tuesday. It’s unlikely he plays, but even if he does, for how long? And at what effectiveness?
Additionally, L.A. point guard John Wall (abdominal) is out for a couple of weeks, and shooting guard Luke Kennard (calf) is down as well.
Together, George, Wall (11.4 ppg) and Kennard (8.7 ppg) average nearly 44 points, more than 11 rebounds and 11.5 assists per contest.
On the positive side, the Clippers are expected to have veteran forward Marcus Morris (13.3 points) back on the floor after he missed Sunday’s game against the Rockets with a knee injury.
While L.A.’s training room is crowded, Philadelphia — which was badly beat up through the first 2½ months of the season — doesn’t have a single name on its injury report. Not even Embiid, who has played in four straight games since missing three contests with a lingering left foot issue.
Obviously, having Embiid at full strength is crucial for a host of reasons. Here’s one: He torched the Clippers for 44 points in a 119-115 home win back on Dec. 23 — his fourth-highest scoring game of the campaign.
It was hardly the first time the 76ers’ All-Star center lit up Los Angeles — in nine career games, Embiid is averaging 33.7 points and 13 rebounds.
Also noteworthy about last month’s Clippers-76ers clash: George played a team-high 35½ minutes and had 22 points (second to Kawhi Leonard’s 28).
L.A. did rebound from its loss in Philly with back-to-back wins at Detroit and Toronto. However, the Clippers have since lost nine of their last 11.
They also have struggled in recent years against the 76ers. Including last month’s meeting, Philadelphia has won seven of 10 battles since the 2017-18 season, including three of five in Los Angeles.
And although the point spread for this game is minuscule, it’s still worth mentioning that the Sixers are 11-3 ATS in the last 14 series battles, including 5-1 ATS in L.A.
Given the schedule situation, this one likely won’t be easy — even if George does sit out. But with Philly on a 15-4 roll and the Clippers in that 2-9 funk, we’ll back the hotter team — one that is 4-1 ATS this season as an underdog of 2.5 points or less.
Point spread: 76ers (+2, -112) @ Clippers (-2, -108)
Moneyline: 76ers (+114) @ Clippers (-134)
Total: 223 points
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