Before the arrival of Lob City, the Los Angeles Clippers had a dark past. There were a lot of losses involved and some not so pretty. But the franchise reached a new low over the weekend losing its first game of the season in record style. The Clips trailed by 50 points ... at halftime and ended up losing 124-73 to Dallas, the worst setback in team history. We expected to see some unusual things at the start of the season given the circumstances, but that had to be the most unexpected occurrence. The Clippers finish off a pair of games on consecutive nights with a matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday giving them every opportunity to erase that thumping from their system.
The contest between the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Clippers takes place at 10 p.m. ET on Wednesday, December 30, 2020, from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles and will air live on NBA TV. BookMaker.eu will have odds for every game on the Wednesday NBA schedule.
NBA Opening Lines at BookMaker.eu
Portland Trail Blazers (Check Back Later)
Los Angeles Clippers (Check Back Later)
Over/Under (Check Back Later)
Odds Analysis
The good news for the Clippers is that the loss to the Mavs only counts as one in the standings. And I guess it’s best that the 51-point shellacking came now so we have excuses. The team has several new players working together with limited prep time. And Kawhi Leonard wasn’t dressed after getting smacked in the mouth last game. Still, the Clippers entered with wins over Western Conference finalists Denver and the Lakers, covering both times and cashing the OVER. The Blazers opened the season at home splitting games with Utah and Houston. Following their 20-point loss to the Jazz, they needed overtime to get past the Rockets, 128-126, on Saturday. The Blazers are 0-2 ATS as they begin a four-game road trip against the Lakers on Monday before taking on the Clippers.
Portland Trail Blazers
The backcourt of CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard has carried the Blazers for a number of years. They are back at it combining for 76 points in the 128-126 overtime win over Houston, Portland’s first of the season. McCollum hit the go-ahead triple in OT and tallied 44 points while Lillard scored 32. Dame vowed to be more aggressive after scoring just nine points in the season-opening loss to Utah. He surpassed that number on his way to 21 first half points.
Defense has been a concern for the Blazers early in the season. Utah shot 46 percent and hit 19 triples handing the Blazers a 120-100 setback in the opener. James Harden scored 44 points and the Rockets shot 51.1 percent scoring 126 points. Portland was able to overcome a 10-point halftime deficit by holding Houston to 17 third quarter points. “We were more aggressive, we rotated a lot better. We’re learning on the fly. We have to adjust and take advantage of our time,” McCollum said of the defensive improvement.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Mavs are expected to be in the mix in the Western Conference. They showed everybody what they are capable of by destroying the Clippers 124-73 on Sunday. LA played without Leonard, though his presence likely wouldn’t have done much for the final outcome. The margin may have been less than 51, but that’s about it. Paul George, who led the Clips with 15 points, summed it up saying, “It’s not that big of a deal. Yes, we got our butts kicked, but it’s one game.”
The Clippers will flush and move on, and they probably won’t have another game like this for years. It’s hard to imagine after they beat the Lakers, 116-109, in the opener and got some revenge on the Nuggets with a 121-108 decision on Christmas day. The Clips covered the closing line in those games before getting routed.
Player to Watch
Leonard has to be the guy in this category. After taking an elbow to the mouth that required stitches, Kawhi watched from the bench while his mates fell behind by 50 at halftime and lost by 51. Leonard’s stock rose faster than Amazon’s after that. His status is unclear but I’m sure he’s anxious to get back after witnessing that debacle against Dallas. Leonard is averaging 23.5 points, but his defense will be needed against the likes of Lillard and McCollum on Wednesday.
NBA Odds Pick
It’s funny how a 51-point loss overshadows what the Clippers did in their first two games. Beating the Lakers and Nuggets was small consolation after what happened last postseason, but it’s a sign that the Clips are still a force. I like them to bounce back against a Blazers team that’s been inconsistent defensively leaving lots of holes for the Clippers to exploit.
NBA Odds Prediction: Clippers 115, Trail Blazers 107
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
