The Los Angeles Clippers have been hit hard by injuries this season and are hoping to keep pace in the hotly-contested Western Conference. They will look to pick up a critical victory against a New York Knicks team that is going through some turbulence right now.
There are Carmelo Anthony trade rumors as the Knicks have struggled to remain competitive this season and the team must try to put that out of its mind in this matchup. The Clippers will be without star point guard Chris Paul so the spread could be close in this showdown.
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The Clippers are 31-19 straight up and 24-26 against the spread. Los Angeles has played in 25 road games this season and has only covered in 10 of them. The Clippers have gone 18-19 against the spread as the favorite and 6-7 against the spread as the underdog.
The Knicks are 22-30 straight up and 29-23 against the spread. New York has played in 25 home games and has covered in 15 of them, so it will be interesting to see if the Knicks’ impressive play at home continues in this one.
New York is 11-5 against the spread as the favorite this season and 18-17 against the spread as the underdog.
Injury Report
Paul’s thumb injury will keep him out for a few more weeks and it has left the Clippers scrambling to find an adequate playmaker in his absence. Paul is averaging 17.5 points, 9.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game, again showing he is one of the best point guards in the NBA.
However, he has missed the past seven games and Los Angeles has lost five of them. The Clippers have fallen in the Western Conference standings, and after a quick start to the season, have no chance at catching the Warriors or Spurs before the end of the season.
The Clippers are within striking distance of the No. 3 seed but will be hard-pressed to keep pace without Paul. Austin Rivers and J.J. Redick is the current backcourt, and that duo is simply not talented enough to keep up with many of the other top guard duos.
The upside for Los Angeles is that Blake Griffin has return from his own missed stretch due to injury and is playing well. The Clippers hope to get healthy in time for the playoffs, but will be hard-pressed to move up the standings with Paul sidelined. That’s why a winnable road game like this one is so important.
Player to Watch
Carmelo Anthony -- The Knicks’ star forward has been the subject if trade rumors for the past several weeks, but has a no-trade clause if he doesn’t feel like leaving New York.
The Knicks are within striking distance of the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference but is clearly not a contender and Phil Jackson would prefer to deal his star to get some younger players in return. Anthony is averaging 23.0 points and 6.1 rebounds per game and is still a proven star but it’s fair to wonder how he is feeling with so many rumors swirling.
A motivated Anthony has the capability to take over this game, but he may be wondering how he fits into the equation with New York moving forward.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Clippers have not done very well since Paul went down, but Griffin’s return has at least brought some semblance of stability. Los Angeles will aim to go to New York and pick up a much-needed victory, but the backcourt issues will rear their ugly head.
The Knicks are reeling because of all the controversy surrounding Carmelo, but they have played well at home and should have the advantage since they are relatively healthy. This is an interesting matchup with so many different dynamics at play but in the end take New York to win an entertaining contest.
NBA Odds: Knicks 114, Clippers 110
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