Knicks vs. Clippers Prediction: NBA Odds, Point Spread
Two of the best teams in their respective conferences are set to go head-to-head on Sunday when the New York Knicks travel to L.A. to battle the Clippers. The Clippers left with a 129-115 win, on the back of a 28-point performance by Kawhi Leonard, in the only other meeting between these teams this season.
The Clips are fairly generous 7.5-point favourites to win on the NBA odds with a total of 215.
NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis
New York has taken a big jump forward this year and they come into this game 12-3 straight up over their last 18 games, although it’s worth noting they’ve dropped their last five meetings against the Clippers. At 42-24-1 against the spread, they’ve been a great cover option this year. The Knicks have hit the Over in 10 of their last 13 games.
The Clippers are dangerous at home this year, winning nine of their last 10 games in L.A. They’re 37-29-1 ATS, but they’ve failed to cover in five of their last six games. The total has gone Under in six of L.A.’s last seven games.
New York Knicks
The Knicks hold just a half-game lead over Atlanta for fourth in the Eastern Conference, so this is a big game for New York. They’ve dropped their last two games and are coming off a 128-105 loss to another Western Conference powerhouse, the Phoenix Suns, on Friday. The Knicks offence disappeared in the fourth quarter of that Phoenix loss, as they were outscored 38-17 in the final 12 minutes. Julius Randle (24 points, 11 rebounds) and RJ Barrett (23 points, eight rebounds) played well, but they didn’t receive much help from the rest of the lineup. New York could get a boost to the lineup, as Alec Burks (knee) and Immanuel Quickley (ankle) could return from injury on Sunday.
Randle has been the linchpin to this New York team all year. The MVP-candidate has put up 20+ points in four of his last five games and he leads the Knicks in points (24.1), rebounds (10.2) and assists per game (5.9).
Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers look like they’re gearing up for a big playoff run as they come into this game off of two statement wins over the last two NBA champions, the Toronto Raptors and L.A. Lakers. Paul George was huge in both games, finishing with a combined 46 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists. Leonard has now played three straight games and looks like he’s feeling much more comfortable after dealing with a foot injury. The Klaw had 15 points, eight rebounds and six assists against the Lakers on Thursday.
George will be the key piece for L.A. in this game. The seven-time All-Star seems to be on a mission this season, as he has dropped 20+ points in 12 of his last 13 games. With Kawhi in and out of the lineup all year, PG-13 has been the driving force behind this Clippers team. George is averaging 23.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game, while shooting 47.3 per cent from the field and 42.1 per cent from beyond the arc.
NY
LAC