A 3-0 start for both the Warriors and Clippers sets the stage for this division duel on ESPN Wednesday night. Golden State is 40-2 at home during the regular season since the start of last season, but the Clippers have the personnel to match-up. A big defensive effort is a must with Golden State scoring at least 100 points in each of its last 35 home games.
SCHEDULING
Both teams are big home favorites of nine points Monday night, so check those results and player statuses before engaging in this showdown Wednesday.
The Warriors host a strong defensive team in Memphis on Monday. The defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors return all five starters and their top nine in minutes played, and the Warriors depth and defense is still stellar to offset situational scheduling and back-to-backs.
In late March, the Warriors beat the Clippers on this court 106-98 but LA was without Blake Griffin. He’s fully healthy and off to a strong start giving the Clippers an additional top scorer and defender inside.
INJURIES
Steve Kerr – the Warriors head coach is on a leave of absence following back surgery and rehab, and assistant coach Luke Walton is serving as interim coach.
Andrew Bogut – the Warriors center missed last game with a concussion.
KEY MATCHUP
Point guards Chris Paul versus Stephen Curry.
Curry has scored 40, 25 and 53 points in three games and also hit 8-of-14 from beyond the arc last game in a 134-120 win at New Orleans. His 118 points is the best start through three games since Michael Jordan in 1989-90. Curry is shooting 59 percent from the field including 48 percent from the arc and has made 21-of-22 free throws this season.
The reigning league MVP is the league’s most feared shooter, but he’ll get a tougher test from Chris Paul and the Clippers defense and rotations.
Paul is averaging 15 points and nine assists per game to start the season, and he’s not counted on to provide as much scoring as Curry. He can dish to sharp-shooting guard J.J. Reddick, who’s scoring 16 points per game on 58 percent shooting.
LA is also strong on the interior with Blake Griffin and his 32 points per game and last year’s leading rebounder DeAndre Jordan pulling down 15 rebounds per game.
ODDS AND PREDICTION
The Warriors will be a high single-digit favorite with a likely total near 214. The Warriors won three of the four meetings last season including 121-104 on this court in the fourth game of last season when Curry scored a game-high 28 points on 50 percent shooting.
The Clippers have a premier point guard in Chris Paul to match-up with Curry, but Los Angeles was below average last season in points allowed and three-pointers allowed, and just average in forcing turnovers. That’s an issue facing the Warriors high-scoring offense and defense that ranked No. 2 in efficiency last season.
Since the start of last season, Golden State is 42-0 when holding opponents under 100 points. Golden State has also won 17 of the last 19 regular season home games against the Clippers including seven-straight.
The Warriors will get plenty of favoritism but the points will be worth taking with the Clippers in an early-season first-place showdown.
Golden State 109, Los Angeles 105
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Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here so start betting with BookMaker today! Bet on the NBA today as the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors square off Wednesday, November 4, 2015, at 10:30 p.m. ET at Oracle Arena. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN.
