The Los Angeles Clippers have hit a groove of late, slingshotting themselves back into the playoff race in the Western Conference. The Clippers have closed fast on the Denver Nuggets for the eighth seed, and these two teams will face off this week in a critical matchup.
There is a logjam of five teams within two games of each other in the standings, so each game is crucial at this time of year. The Clippers are playing at home in this one so they will be favored to win and surpass Denver in the standings.
The Nuggets have stumbled a bit of late but have enough talent to hang around in the postseason picture. Stealing a win on the road against another playoff hopeful would be a big development in a season that could come down to a game or two in the standings.
This war on the floor will go down Wednesday, January 17, 2018, at 10:30 p.m. ET at the Staples Center. The game will be televised live on ESPN.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Wednesday schedule.
Odds Analysis
The Nuggets are 22-21 straight up and 20-21-2 against the spread. They are 8-13-2 attempting to cover on the road this year. Denver is 6-8-2 against the spread as the underdog.
The Clippers are 22-21 straight up and 24-19 against the spread. They have covered in 11 of 21 attempts at home this season. Los Angeles is a strong 14-8 against the spread as the favorite and will aim to keep that rolling.
Injury Report
The Nuggets are catching a break as Los Angeles’ star center, DeAndre Jordan, is not expected to play in this game due to a sprained ankle. He suffered the injury on an alley-oop attempt against the Sacramento Kings on Thursday.
Jordan has been extremely durable in his career as this is the first time he’s ever missed a game in his 10-year career. Jordan is a big presence on defense. He is averaging 11.9 points, 14.8 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game.
Denver will find much more room in the paint without Jordan patrolling it. His absence could have an effect on the spread as Jordan is one of the most talented players on either team.
Player To Watch
Nikola Jokic —The Nuggets has taken a big step forward this season and has become the best player on the team. He is averaging 15.8 points, 10.1 rebounds and 5.0 assists per contest. Jokic is shooting 48.2 percent from the field and 34 percent from three-point range.
The young center may benefit the most from Jordan’s absence, as he will be the best big man in this matchup. Jokic had 23 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in a recent loss to the Spurs, again showing he is one of the rare big men who can affect the game both by scoring and passing.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Nuggets have played better than expected to get in the playoff race this year and should hang around until the end. Los Angeles will be smarting without Jordan, but Blake Griffin and Lou Williams should be able to pick up the slack and lead the team to victory.
Check out the spread in this game, because if the Clippers are given too many points, Denver is the right play. While the Nuggets don’t figure to win this game they should be able to keep it close. The “over” is the side of the scoring total that should be considered as this pace should be breakneck throughout.
This is a big game for both sides and Los Angeles will be able to pick up a squeaker to gain ground on Denver in the playoff race.
NBA Odds: Clippers 116 , Nuggets 113
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