NBA picks: Warriors vs. Clippers prediction, odds, over/under, spread, injury report for Thursday, Dec. 14
Two veteran Western Conference teams will duke it out tonight as the Golden State Warriors will wrap up a three-game road trip when visiting the Los Angeles Clippers. Tipoff is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. ET and the game will air on NBA TV.
Golden State (10-13) is coming off a 119-116 loss to the Suns on Tuesday and of course, the story coming out of that game was Draymond Green being ejected for wildly striking Jusuf Nurkic in the face. Green has since been suspended indefinitely by the league and tonight will be the the Warriors’ first game following the decision. Meanwhile, Los Angeles (13-10) is riding a five-game win streak that began with a victory over this same Warriors squad nearly two weeks ago. The Clippers last took down the Kings in a 119-99 victory on Tuesday, a game where they held them to just 41.9% shooting from the field.
On the injury front, Paul George (hip) is listed as questionable for the Clippers. Meanwhile, Gary Payton II (calf) will miss his sixth straight game for the Warriors.
Los Angeles enters the game as a 5.5-point favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook, accompanied by a total of 231. The Clippers are listed as a -225 moneyline favorite, making the Warriors a +185 underdog.
Warriors vs. Clippers, 10:30 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Clippers -5.5
Golden State has been maddeningly inconsistent for the past month and Green’s latest suspension brings yet another black cloud hanging over this year’s team. The Warriors are 6-2 against the spread as a road underdog this season, but are going up a Clippers team that seems to be figuring it out with their lineup. Even with George’s questionable status, I’m taking LA to cover at home this evening.
Over/Under: Under 231
LA is the most under-friendly team in the league with a 7-15-1 O/U record heading into tonight’s ballgame. A huge part of that is its defense as the team is holding opponents to just 45.1% shooting from the field. The last Warriors-Clippers game ended with a final score of 113-112 and I’ll predict we get a similar outcome tonight. Take the under.
