When the Los Angeles Clippers traded Blake Griffin near the deadline, many believed that would end their shot at making the playoffs. But the team has continued to play well and finds itself in the No. 7 spot as the regular season hits its final stretch. The Clippers don’t have much room for error with 10 teams in the mix for eight spots.
They will hit the road next time out to face off against the Oklahoma City Thunder, another team within a few games of each other in a race for the final spots. Oklahoma City has been good at home this season and will be favored in this contest, but the Clippers are good enough to make this a competitive matchup.
Don't miss the hardwood action from the Chesapeake Energy Arena at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, March 16, 2018. Catch every moment of the game live on NBATV.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Friday schedule.
Odds Analysis
The Clippers are 37-29 straight up and 36-30 against the spread. Los Angeles has done a nice job away from home, covering in 20 of 32 road games. The Clippers are 16-15 against the spread as the underdog on the year.
Oklahoma City is 41-29 straight up and 29-41 against the spread. The Thunder has covered in 15 of 35 attempts at home this season. Oklahoma City is 24-36 against the spread as the favorite on the year.
Previous Matchups
The Thunder defeated the Clippers twice in earlier season matchups and will look to make it three straight wins as the Western Conference foes face off for a third time on Friday. Oklahoma comes into this matchup having won four straight as well.
In their first meeting on November 10th, Paul George put up 42 points as the Thunder captured a 120-111 win at home. The second matchup on January 4th, was also a high-scoring affair with George again leading the charge with a team-high 32 points and Russell Westbrook adding a triple double in the Thunder’s 127-117 victory.
If the Clippers can pull off the win on Friday, it would be a big boost for Los Angeles. After a rough start to the season, the Clippers have looked much sharper lately but enter a tough stretch with games against Houston, Oklahoma City and Portland this week.
Player To Watch
Westbrook — The NBA’s reigning MVP is playing really good basketball so far in the month of March. He will enter this matchup against the Clippers with a lot of momentum, after recording three straight triple-doubles against the Spurs, Kings and Hawks.
Westbrook is averaging 25.3 points, 10.2 assists and 9.6 rebounds a game on the season and continues to prove why is regarded as one of the best players in the league right now. In his most recent showing on Tuesday against Atlanta, the star point guard recorded 32 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists, shooting 60 percent from the field in his team’s 119-107 win.
With that performance against the Hawks, the 29-year-old became the fourth player in league history to reach 100 triple-doubles in a career. Westbrook has continued to put up these big numbers despite adding Carmelo Anthony and George to the roster this year and the trio seems to be finding a nice rhythm at the right time.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Clippers are still an above average game without Griffin but the Thunder has the biggest star in Westbrook and the home court. Look for Oklahoma City to win this game in NCAA basketball betting lines, but the Clippers are the call if the spread is too large.
The “over” is the choice on the NBA basketball scoring total as this one could have a fast pace throughout.
NBA Odds: Thunder 116, Clippers 112
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
