LA Clippers vs OKC Thunder Player Props, Odds, Picks & Predictions (Dec. 21)
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Amid a torrid 17-8 start, the surprising Thunder have seen their NBA win total rocket from 44 all the way to 49. The Clippers’ started the season at 46.5 and, after dipping to 43.5 during a sluggish start, are back where they started.
LAC Runs Win Streak to Nine Games
Winners of nine straight, the Clippers’ win streak is nearly double that of the next longest in the NBA – Milwaukee, 5 – and the Bucks and Clippers are the only two teams who have won more than three in a row.
Things almost came to a crashing halt in Dallas last night as the Mavericks erased a 65-47 deficit late in the first half and actually led 108-106 with 3:46 remaining. But Kawhi Leonard scored eight of his game-high 30 points in the final four minutes to propel LAC to a 120-111 victory sans Paul George.
Norman Powell added 21 off the bench on 7-of-10 shooting including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc, while James Harden continued his strong play with 17 points and 11 assists.
The 30-point performance from Kawhi was the seventh straight game LAC’s leading scorer scored at least 27 and the fifth time in that stretch he hit the 30-point plateau.
After last night’s win the Clippers now sit seventh in the league in Offensive Rating (117.9), seventh in Defensive Rating (111.7), and fifth in Net Rating (+6.2).
Unfortunately for Ty Lue’s team, the Thunder are one of the four teams that sits ahead of them (10th in OR, third in DR, and third in Net Rating).
Surprising Thunder Sit Second in West
With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (30.7 PPG, 6.4 APG, 5.7 RPG) turning into a bona fide superstar, the Thunder have the second-best record in the West (trailing only the 20-6 Minnesota Timberwolves) and the best point differential in the conference (+7.2). While SGA is averaging slightly fewer points per game than he did last season (30.7 vs 31.4 PPG), he’s averaging more assists (6.4 vs 5.5 APG) and more rebounds (5.7 vs 4.8 RPG) while shooting at a higher clip from the field (53.8% vs 51.0%) and turning the ball over less (2.0 vs 2.8 TPG).
Over the past three seasons, SGA’s Player Efficiency Rating has soared from 20.9 to 27.2 to 30.7, which is currently third in the NBA behind Joel Embiid (35.0) and Nikola Jokic (31.6).
Of course it’s OKC’s improved defense that’s been the main difference compared to last season, when the Thunder finished 40-42 with a +1.1 point differential. The biggest contributing factor to the defensive improvement is the presence of Chet Holmgren, who missed the entirety of what would have been his rookie season with a foot injury.
The 7’1 center is averaging 16.9 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game. He’s surged to third in the NBA Defensive Player of the Year odds. Holmgren was instrumental in OKC’s recent 117-116 win on the road against the reigning-champion Denver Nuggets (just Denver’s second home loss of the season). He dropped 17 points along with a game-high 11 rebounds and an absurd eight blocks.
Holmgren has also overtaken Victor Wembanyama in the NBA Rookie of the Year odds by the narrowest of margins.
Clippers vs Thunder Player Props
Player props from the DraftKings app.
Currently, only OKC players are on the board in the NBA player props for LAC vs OKC. As mentioned, George missed last night’s game for the Clippers with an undisclosed illness and it’s unclear if he’ll be in the lineup tonight. As the team’s second-leading scorer (22.9 PPG) and third-leading rebounder (5.7 RPG), his presence or absence will have a ripple effect throughout the LAC lineup.
Clippers vs Thunder Prediction
Betting against this Thunder team has become a scary proposition. At the same time, the Clippers’ current win streak has established the team as a true threat in the NBA championship odds, and Kawhi Leonard has re-emerged as a top-five player in the league.
I bet against the Clippers the last time they were playing back-to-backs, reasoning that Leonard, Harden, and George (who are all 33 or older) would have a harder time dealing with the fatigue. But they came out and stomped Sacramento 199-99 with Leonard scoring a game-high 31 on 7-of-11 shooting. The team is also 2-0 without George this season.
At +160, LAC only needs a 39% win probability to have positive expected value tonight, and that’s a price I can get behind.
LAC vs OKC pick: Clippers moneyline (+160)
Sascha Paruk’s 2023-24 NBA betting record:
- 9-5-2 ATS (+3.03 units)
- 7-5 ML (+2.39 units)
- 4-10 player props (-6.4 units)
All wagers one unit unless expressly stated otherwise.
