The Los Angeles Clippers (17-10) travel to face off against the Oklahoma City Thunder (17-8) on Thursday, December 21st. This game will be played at Paycom Center. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 8:00 ET.

Clippers vs Thunder

The Clippers Are Coming Off A Win

The Clippers took down the Mavericks in their most recent game with a final score of 120-111. Going into the second half the Clippers held the lead at 67-56.

With a 17-10 overall record, the Clippers have won nine straight games. In non-conference play, they are 3-2 while going 14-8 against Western Conference teams.

Los Angeles arrives with an ATS record of 14-13 for the season up to this point. The Clippers currently have a five game ATS win streak as the favorite and are 1-4 vs. the spread as underdogs.

The Thunder Are Coming Off A Win

The Thunder’s most recent matchup against the Grizzlies saw Shai Gilgeous-Alexander lead the Thunder with 30 points while shooting 8/18 from the field. Chet Holmgren also added 17 points as the Thunder won the game by a score of 116-97.

With an overall record of 17-8, the Thunder are looking to extend their two game winning streak. When playing on the road, the Thunder are 8-4 compared to their 9-4 mark at home.

Oklahoma City has an ATS record above .500, currently standing at 18-7 against the spread. With a two game ATS win streak as favorites, the Thunder are 8-3 against the spread when they are underdogs.

Clippers Offense Breakdown

The Los Angeles offense will take the floor in today’s game with the league’s 9th ranked offense at 117.1 points per game. Coming into today’s game, the Clippers will be looking to improve their 3-point shooting numbers, as they are averaging just 12.4 made 3’s per game. Despite struggling with their outside shot, Los Angeles remains one of the better offensive units in large part to their ability to get to the charity stripe. So far, the team is averaging 19.4 made free-throws per game.

Thunder Offense Breakdown

For the season, the Oklahoma City offense is the 5th ranked unit in the NBA, at 120.2 points per contest. In terms of pace, the Thunder are one of the top units in the NBA, averaging 100.6 possessions per game. A key aspect of the team’s offensive success is their ability to pair an up-tempo style of play with efficient outside shooting. So far, they are the 6th ranked team in 3-point shooting percentage.

Clippers Team Defense

At present, the Clippers’ defense is ranked 6, allowing 110.7 points per game.

On two point field goal attempts, the Clippers’ defensive unit is allowing a field goal percentage of 52.4% and allowing 34.6% from beyond the arc.

Thunder Team Defense

Currently, the Thunder’s defense holds the 12 rank in the NBA, allowing 113.0 points per game.

Most recently, the Thunder’s defense put together a solid performance, giving up just 97 points to the Grizzlies.

Key Players For The Clippers And Thunder

For today’s matchup, we project Kawhi Leonard to lead the scoring for the Clippers, putting up 22 points and shooting at a rate of 8/14. During this season, he is delivering an average of 24.4 points per game, along with 5.9 rebounds.

As for Oklahoma City, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is projected to be the primary scorer for the Thunder. Our forecast has him finishing the game with 20, and adding 4 rebounds. For the season, he has a field goal percentage of 53.8% and is averaging 30.7 points per contest.

Clippers vs Thunder Trends

• Across their ten previous road games, Los Angeles has an ATS mark of 6-4. Their straight up record in these matchups was 6-4 while averaging 119 points per game.
• In their last five home games, Oklahoma City has averaged 114 points per game while allowing 116. The team’s record in this stretch was 2-3 while going 3-2.
• Spanning across their last five games as the betting underdog, the Clippers have gone 1-4 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 0-5.
• As the betting favorite, the Thunder have an ATS record of 3-2 in their last five games. In these matchups their, straight up record was 4-1.

 

Clippers vs Thunder Prediction

 

Coming in as the underdogs at +4, we have the Clippers as the way to go on the point spread. Not only do we have them covering, but our projections show they have a good one of winning this one straight-up, if you’re looking for a higher payout on the moneyline.

As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 234.5 and our model has the Clippers and Thunder finishing with a combined 225 points. Our pick is to take the under.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.