After the injury to Blake Griffin, it looked like this team was done, but the Los Angeles Clippers are back on track, stringing together six straight wins as of Monday. The Clippers will host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday, a team that has won three of its last four, but a team that’s also neck-and-neck for the worst record in the Western Conference.
Don't miss the hardwood action from the Staples Center at 10:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 19, 2017. Catch every moment of the game live on TNT.
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Odds Analysis
Minnesota strung together three straight wins, beating Dallas, Houston and Oklahoma City in the team’s first three game winning streak of the season. The stretch brings some level of optimism to the Timberwolves who were able to beat some good teams, but they went back in the loss column on Saturday, falling to the Mavericks on the road.
The road has been especially tough on Minnesota this year. The team is 5-14 on the road. They’re 7-12 ATS away from home. This, however, is a team that’s covered the spread in four of its last five games.
The Clippers, meanwhile, have rediscovered their winning ways and are now in the midst of a six game winning streak, covering the spread in five of those six games. They’re also hosting this game where they’ve managed to cover the spread in 13 of their 24 games.
Players to Watch
The Timberwolves’ strength is inside the paint where forward Andrew Wiggins and center Karl-Anthony Towns lead the team in scoring with 21.9 and 21.8 PPG respectively. On top of that, Towns is averaging 11.9 RPG.
On the other side of the court, the Clippers dominate with strong guard play behind Chris Paul and J.J. Redick. Those two ranks first and second on the team in scoring—after the injured Blake Griffin—with Jamal Crawford and Austin Rivers key contributors on the outside.
Given the makeup of these two rosters, the key player for Los Angeles is DeAndre Jordan who offers some size and physicality inside. His 13.8 RPG actually gives the Clippers a slight edge on the boards, at least based on the season numbers. He’s also shooting 68-percent from the floor.
At the same time, Minnesota has Wiggins and Towns inside, but need to find answers for Paul and Redick outside, making both Zach LaVine and Ricky Rubio key players to watch.
Rubio isn’t a big scorer, but he’s the team’s assist leader and has at least eight assists in five straight games with 57 total assists in that span. LaVine, meanwhile, will be counted on to provide some key three-point shots. He’s shooting 41.4-percent beyond the arc and is the Timberwolves’ only real deep threat.
Last Meeting
Back in November, this matchup resulted in a 14-point victory for the Clippers despite playing on the road up in the Target Center.
While Minnesota won the battle inside the paint with 56 points compared to the Clippers’ 38, the Wolves managed just 10 fast break points and quickly fell behind by 13-points after the first quarter.
Los Angeles broke out early and cruised to victory with Jordan notching 16 boards and 18 points while Griffin led the team in scoring with 20-points while recording a double-double of his own.
Obviously, without Griffin, the matchup is a bit more favorable for a Minnesota team that’s shown some recent signs of life. They’ve got the edge inside though Jordan will put up a fight once again.
On the outside, Paul and Redick shot 11 for 21 for 37 combined points. In total, the team shot 52.6-percent.
Across the floor, the Wolves got big games from Towns and Wiggins as they need to do to have a chance, but LaVine was the only other player with more than eight points and he shot just 1-for-5 from beyond the arc.
Free NBA ATS Picks
We’ve already seen these two teams end with a sizeable win for the Clippers and that game was in Minnesota. While Griffin’s absence does change the dynamic a bit, the Clippers have shown over their last handful of games that they can win without their star forward.
Jordan is still an elite player inside to contend with Towns and Wiggins while Paul and Redick have the clear edge on the outside.
The Timberwolves have shown a bit for fans to get excited about of late, but it’s more a sign for the future rather than anything else. This is still a team that’s only strung three straight wins together once and it’s still a team that’s been downright bad on the road.
Look for another Minnesota road loss and a nice win at home for the Clippers, though this game should end closer than the one we saw back in November.
NBA Odds: Clippers 110, Timberwolves 98
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