NBA: Los Angeles Clippers vs Portland Trail Blazers Preview, Odds, Prediction

The LA Clippers meet the division rivals Portland Trail Blazers in tonight’s matchup at the Moda Center in Oregon. These two sides might clash in the playoffs the way things stand in the West at the moment, with the Clips holding the third and the Blazers sixth seed. The home team is going to be handicapped, as they play without Damian Lillard and Jusuf Nurkic, who are both out due to respective injuries. The guests have their problems as well, with Ibaka, Beverley, and Leonard out.

Preview

LA Clippers (40-19, -345) ended their seven-game winning streak against the 76ers on the road, but bounced back after that against the Minnesota Timberwolves at home, 124-105. This was the 40th win of the campaign for Tyron Lue’s side, who still hopes to reach the No.1 seed in the West and the league.

The Clips didn’t have too much trouble against vs Wolves, cracking their pressure in the second and third period, once they outscored the guests 75-43, with Paul George leading the way.

PG had 23 points in 27 minutes, grabbing seven rebounds and having five assists while sinking four threes. Marcus Morris Sr. scored 19 with five threes, while Kawhi Leonard missed a triple-double for two assists, 15 points, 11 boards, and 8 dimes. It was interesting to see that all the LAC players managed to score at least one point in this match.

Portland Trail Blazers (32-24, +270) aren’t very good in recent times. The team from the Rip City has just two triumphs in seven events which is a great blow to their ambitions. At one point, many believed that Terry Stott’s side might end among the top four, but now, the Trail Blazers might slip into the play-in zone if they continue to play like this.

The latest loss happened against Charlotte Hornets on the road, 109-101. Everything was pretty much over after the first period once hosts reached a 20-point lead, 44-24, playing one of the best games of the year.

Blazers, on the other side, looked pale and slow, not being able to hit anything. Carmelo Anthony dropped six thees in 12 attempts, and outside Melo, we saw just three more players delivering four downtown hits for the Blazers in this match.

Anthony had 24 points, CJ McCollum 22, while Norman Powell scored 17. Nurkic had 12 the same as his replacement Enes Kanter.

Head to Head Games

This is the third game between the Clippers and the Blazers this year. In both previous, the team from LA posted big wins, 128-105, and in the latest 133-116. The second one took place two weeks ago. Norman Powell had 32 for the Trail Blazers, while George scored 36 for the LAC. Kawhi added 29.

Prediction

The Clippers are a better team when looking at the available players for this event. Without Lillard and Nurk, there is no way that the Trail Blazers might compete with the surging guests from California. With all due respect, we don’t see Melo, Powell, and McCollum outplaying George and all the other tough defenders from the Clippers. Because of that, we are suggesting to bet on the LAC’s victory.