These two teams met in January in what turned out to be a massive shootout, ending with the Clippers winning and covering the spread 140-132 in overtime. The record, stats and trends favor Los Angeles again on Wednesday, but this time the game will take place in Houston.
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ODDS ANALYSIS
With their loss to Cleveland on Sunday, the Clippers have failed to cover the spread in three straight games. Houston’s only 3-5 ATS in its last eight, but has covered the closing number in three of its last four.
Los Angeles does have one thing going for it: it’s better on the road than at home, at least in relation to the spread. The team is 16-13-2 ATS on the road while Houston’s covered just 12 of its 31 home tussles.
WHEN THE LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS ARE ON OFFENSE
In January’s win over Houston, the Clippers shot 51.6 percent from the floor and tallied 140 points, 40 of which came from J.J. Redick of all people. Redick sank nine from behind the arc in that game and should be a threat on the outside once again on Wednesday.
Houston’s defense is an easy one to score against, its allowing 107 PPG and are well below average in field goal percentage against and boards. The Rockets allowed 125-points to Charlotte on Saturday, allowing the Hornets to shoot well over 50-percent from the floor and nearly that behind the arc.
On Sunday, however, Los Angeles was stifled by the Cavaliers. After topping 100 points in six of their last seven games and 15 of 18, the Clippers scored just 90 against Cleveland in a 114-90 loss.
In that game, Chris Paul, J.J Redick and even DeAndre Jordan performed well. That’s a given. Nevertheless, the rest of the team struggled. Watch to see if someone outside of that trio steps up against Houston with a strong first quarter, particularly Luc Mbah a Moute or Jeff Green inside.
Paul, Reddick and Jamal Crawford are the team’s top three active scorers. They’ve got the outside hammered down, but Jordan is often alone inside. They need Blake Griffin back to shore up the low blocks against better teams.
WHEN THE HOUSTON ROCKETS ARE ON OFFENSE
Many people were surprised when the trade deadline came and went and Dwight Howard was still in Houston, but the Rockets currently find themselves in the playoff picture at 33-33 despite a disappointing season to date.
A strong offense is the reason they’ve been able to stay on the fringes of the race. They’re ranked fifth in the NBA in scoring with 105.8 PPG.
Howard is a key presence inside with 15 PPG, 12.1 RPG and a 61.8 percent shooting mark from the floor. He covers inside the paint and allows guard James Harden to do his thing. Howard scored 36 the last time Houston played Los Angeles, shooting 11-for-16 from the floor and 14-for-18 from the free throw line.
Harden is second in the NBA with his 28.8 PPG. He also leads the team with 7.1 APG and, despite his position, is third in rebounds with 6.3 per game.
The duo of Harden and Howard make up the core of this team, but the play of Trevor Ariza and Michael Beasley inside are important, too. Meanwhile, Patrick Beverley rounds out the starting five. All five are averaging at least 9.4 PPG, though, as noted the scoring is top heavy around Harden.
It’ll be up to the Clippers to shut down the Rockets offense and that’ll focus on holding Harden at bay and forcing the rest of the team to step up. Los Angeles is a skilled defensive team, allowing a field goal percentage of just 43.5 percent thanks to DeAndre Jordan’s defense inside and Chris Paul’s on the perimeter.
BETTING TRENDS AND MATCHUPS
The Rockets have a poor defense, but top of the line offense that’s scored at least 100 in seven straight games. The Clippers, meanwhile, are top-10 both offensively and defensively.
How this game turns out will lean heavily on the matchup between Howard and Jordan. Howard won the showdown last time with his 36-points and 26-rebounds, but Jordan wasn’t shabby. He shot 6-for-7 with 16-points and added 15-rebounds of his own.
Based on that game, the matchup favors Houston, but overall stats say the opposite. Look to see which player wins this matchup early and back his team, particularly if they’re close or even behind after a quarter.
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BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! The matchup between the Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets will go down Wednesday, March 16, 2016, at 9:30 p.m. ET at the Toyota Center. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN.
