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Holding onto the third and fourth seeding in the Western Conference, these two teams face off on Thursday with Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook squaring off in the backcourt while DeAndre Jordan does his best to try and slow down Kevin Durant and Oklahoma City’s inside attack.
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ODDS ANALYSIS
With a win over Toronto on Monday, the Thunder have won eight straight games to help separate themselves as the conference’s third best team. Over its last nine games, Oklahoma City has covered the spread eight times.
The Clippers, on the other hand, have won three straight now, but that comes on the heels of dropping five of six. Against the spread, Los Angeles has failed to cover eight of its last 11 games.
Overall, the Clippers actually have the better ATS record, but the Thunder are better at covering the spread at home than on the road.
WHEN THE LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS ARE ON OFFENSE
Los Angeles is strong offensively even without Blake Griffin who isn’t eligible to play until Sunday. Ranked No. 6 in the NBA, LA is averaging 104.5 PPG thanks to a strong 46.2 percent shooting on field goals and a 36.0 percent mark beyond the arc.
Defensively, the Thunder does provide some resistance. They’re in the middle of the road in PPG allowed at 102.7, but are pretty good according to field goal percentage allowed, permitting the opposition to shoot just 43.9 percent from the floor.
The Thunder is also a strong rebounding club, averaging 48.4 boards per game, leading the NBA. Watch to see who wins the rebounding game on Thursday. As a team, the Thunder are better, but Jordan ranks second in the NBA in rebounds with 14. That’s more than two boards more per game than the NBA’s number three team.
While Jordan provides rebounds and blocks primarily, he can do some damage offensively inside as well. He’s averaging 12.9 PPG, but his 70.2 percent shooting mark is most impressive. He can push towards the basket and use his size to his advantage when necessary.
Still, the team’s offense comes primarily from the perimeter—at least while Griffin remains sidelined. Chris Paul is the leading active player with 19.8 PPG while J.J. Redick and Jamal Crawford all provide support.
Redick is shooting 47.5 percent behind the arc while Crawford is the team’s best free throw shooter.
WHEN THE OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER ARE ON OFFENSE
The Thunder boast two of the NBA’s top eight scorers in Durant and Westbrook. Durant ranks third in the nation with 28 PPG while Westbrook is averaging 23.7 PPG.
It’s hard not to be one of the best offenses in the sport when you have two dynamic talents like Oklahoma City has. It’s no wonder it’s averaging 110.4 PPG, good for second in the NBA just behind Golden State.
The Clippers’ defense should provide a nice challenge, particularly Jordan inside. Of course, Redick and Paul are no slouches either.
While Durant is this team’s leading scorer, it’s often Westbrook controls the offense. Along with his 23.7 PPG, he’s also averaging 10.4 APG. Watch to see if he can involve enough of the roster to keep the Clippers honest.
Serge Ibaka and Enes Kanter are each averaging over a dozen PPG, but those two along with Durant and Westbrook are the only four scoring more than 10 PPG. Guard Dion Waiters who is a fine compliment on the outside has 9.8 PPG while Steven Adams is scoring just 7.8 PPG despite shooting 61.3 percent from the floor and averaging just shy of 25 minutes on the court per game.
BETTING TRENDS AND MATCHUPS
When these two NBA teams met earlier this month, the Thunder won and covered the spread. In that game, Durant posted a double-double and Westbrook notched a triple-double, but the secondary players stepped up as well. Watch to see how well Ibaka, Kanter and company are shooting and whether the Thunder is able to involve them in the game plan before jumping on OKC to cover.
For those looking to play on the total, we’re dealing with two prolific offenses, but be weary of the total getting too high. If either team goes on a run to bump up the total early, look to jump on the under.
The under has paid out in four straight games for the Clippers and has cashed in 40 of the Thunder’s 74 games played to date.
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. 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 Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder game is scheduled for Thursday, March 31, 2016, at 9:30 p.m. ET at Chesapeake Energy Arena. The contest will be broadcast nationally on TNT.
