The Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets are both aiming to finish atop the Western Conference at the end of the season, and both have the talent to do so. The season is still very young but they will face off this week in an intriguing head-to-head showdown. The Rockets are at home but Los Angeles has a talented roster, so it could be a competitive game throughout. It would not be a surprise at all to see these teams meet again in the playoffs.
This NBA regular season game between the Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets will be held at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas at 7:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, November 13th, 2019. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for every game of the 2019 NBA season.
Odds Analysis
The spread for this game could be affected by the availability of Clippers star forward Paul George, who is making his way back from shoulder injuries but has yet to play this season. If he is on the court for Los Angeles, it will give the team a big boost, and could make this game a pick ‘em type affair. Keep a close eye on the status of George, as he is expected to return sometime this week. If he plays, it could shift the line by a couple of points.
Matchup To Watch
Kawhi Leonard vs. James Harden -- Two of the best players in the NBA are going to go head-to-head in this one, and the one that wins this matchup will help his team quite a bit. Leonard sat out of a nationally televised game against the Bucks for load management purposes, but seems likely to play in this one.
Harden is starting another strong season and is one of the elite individual scorers in the NBA. Leonard is arguably the best perimeter defender in the league so when they match up it will be intriguing to see if Harden can get open looks or if Leonard makes life tough on him.
Leonard is the more complete player but Harden is always liable to get hot from downtown and score some points in bunches.
Key Stat
20.7. That’s the points per game Houston point guard Russell Westbrook is averaging this season, which is below his usual pace. It seemed like this could happen when he made his way to the Rockets this offseason via trade. Harden is leading the NBA in scoring and taking more shots, and it will be interesting to see if Westbrook gets frustrated at all at any point.
He is doing a nice job contributing in other areas, adding 9.6 rebounds, 8.7 assists and 1.9 steals per contest. Westbrook is a great player but his points per game could stay around this range because Harden dominates the ball so much.
NBA Pick
If George is able to play in this game, it will be a titanic showdown with both teams at full strength. The Rockets get this one at home and could be the slightest of favorites, and it remains to be seen if George can be incorporated on the fly if he does play. The Clippers could eventually become the best team in the NBA, but there is too much unknown heading into this one. Houston is the choice to both win this game and cover the spread.
NBA Pick: Houston Rockets 117, Los Angeles Clippers 113
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