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Wednesday's LA Clippers-Golden State Warriors contest will be the marquee clash of the day's 13-game slate. It's the fourth and final meeting of the regular season between the division rivals. The Clippers lead the season series 2-1 after emerging winners in the past two showdowns.
The story could be different Wednesday with the Clippers missing star player Kawhi Leonard amid a rough stretch. LA has lost two of its last three games against rival contenders like the New Orleans Pelicans and Minnesota Timberwolves by wide margins.
Meanwhile, the Warriors are coming off a resurgent 8-3 run in their last 11 games. Some may say they have found their missing rhythm in this stretch, which was nearly non-existent for the better part of 2023-24.
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LA Clippers vs. Golden State Warriors preview, betting tips, odds and prediction
ESPN will nationally televise the Clippers-Warriors game. Bally Sports SoCal and NBC Sports will cover the contest locally. Viewers abroad can catch live action via NBA League Pass online.
Moneyline: Clippers +125, Warriors -148.
Spread: Clippers +3 (-110), Warriors -3 (-110)
Total (o/u): Clippers o2342.5 (-110), Warriors u234.5 (-110)
Editor's note: The odds could change close to the game. The odds listed were as per available information at the time of writing.
LA Clippers vs. Golden State Warriors preview
The Clippers could regret staying pat at the NBA trade deadline in the coming weeks. LA dropped two of its last three games against the Pelicans and Timberwolves because of its lack of size. Either PJ Tucker needs to see more playing time, or Ty Lue needs to trust Daniel Theis to play the four more and pair him next to Ivica Zubac, especially against bigger teams.
The Warriors are a good matchup for the Clippers in that context. Kawhi Leonard's absence could prove critical, but LA has the luxury to ask more from other stars like Paul George, James Harden and Russell Westbrook. Zubac, Theis and Sixth Man of the Year frontrunner Norman Powell will also have crucial roles to play.
The Warriors may not have an answer for Zubac in the paint, something the Clippers must capitalize on to record a gritty win on the road. However, Draymond moving to the five, with Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga starting next to him, have proved to be game-changers.
It negated the Dubs' size issues, thanks to Draymond's versatility. Amid their 8-3 run, Golden State is top five offensively and defensively with a 121.2 and 110.5 rating, respectively, which is a testament to their improvement on constant issues.
LA Clippers vs. Golden State Warriors starting lineups
Clippers starting lineup
PG - James Harden, SG - Terance Mann, SF - Amir Coffey, PF - Paul George, C - Ivica Zubac
Warriors starting lineup
PG - Steph Curry, SG - Klay Thompson, SF - Andrew Wiggins, PF - Jonathan Kuminga, C - Draymond Green
Editors note: These are predicted starting lineups, which could change depending on the availability of players uncertain to play. Lineups will be updated close to the game.
LA Clippers vs. Golden State Warriors betting tips
Steph Curry is favored to score under 29.5 points. He's averaging 28.0 ppg on the season and 30.7 ppg in his past seven games. But the inflated average is due to a 60-point outing against the Hawks on Feb. 3. Curry went over his total twice in his past four games. He's likely going to have to takeover some playmaking load against LA, which makes him scoring under 29.5 points a better bet.
He's also favored to make under 5.5 3-pointers. He's making 6.6 per game in seven outings in February. Curry has 27 3s in his past three games. Going over on his 3-pointers total could be the ideal bet.
Meanwhile, James Harden is favored to dish under 9.5 assists. He's averaging 8.4 on the season and hasn't recorded over eight assists in his last three outings. Harden's averaging 7.7 apg in February. Going under his assists total seems like the ideal bet.
LA Clippers vs. Golden State Warriors prediction
With Kawhi Leonard out and a homecourt advantage favoring the Golden State Warriors, Steph Curry and Co. are the favorites to win Tuesday's game against the LA Clippers. It's seemingly an easy choice for the oddsmakers, considering the contrasting forms of the two conference rivals over the past week.
Warriors Nation! You can check out the latest Golden State Warriors Schedule and dive into the Warriors Depth Chart for NBA Season 2024-25.
