Two teams in the middle of the Western Conference square off in Texas this Wednesday, with the Clipper taking on the raging Spurs. It's a battle of old versus new, with the veteran-laden team taking on a youth movement in San Antonio. Will the Clippers overcome the force that is Victor Wembanyama, or will the veteran talent win out again? Tune in at 5:00 PM PT.
Cam Christie Out
Kris Dunn Out
Sidy Cissoko
The Clippers have been the old man of the league. Full of experienced veteran talent, they don’t make many mistakes. They can be outclassed by talent, but don’t expect this team to shoot itself in the foot. James Harden, Norm Powell, and Kawki Leonard have been an elite trio. Powell is even inching closer to the first all-star appearance of his career at 31 years old.
However, taking on the Spurs will be difficult. This group is still dangerous despite a slide over the last ten games. With Victor Wembanyama on the floor, anything can happen.
The Spurs match up well against the Clippers. They have the size to toss in front of the Clippers big three, while the Spurs have to rely on Ivica Zubac to fend off Wemby. Even though Zubac is having a solid year, the scoring ability and size of Wemby might be too much.
The Clippers will have to thrive on the perimeter tonight, likely going through Harden. They are more than capable of doing that. If they can prevent turnovers and stay in front of these younger guards on defense, the Clippers will have a great shot at winning.
The Spurs just feel like the better bet tonight. Considering the last time these teams met, it was a blowout win for the Spurs; I could see it happening again.
Money line: SAS (+150) / DAL (-180)
Total Points: 223
Spread: +4 SAS (-110) / -4 LAC (-110)
The Spurs have been relatively erratic this year. They’ll kill one team, then get killed. This feels like a game they could dominate in. They’ll have to overcome the veteran talent, but the Clippers don’t have many meaningful options to toss at Wemby. If Victor has a strong game, this will be an easy win for them.
The Clippers love to play slow. They set the pace and move the ball at their own tempo. This gritty play style may impact the Spurs a bit. Unless San Antonio can get out and run early, this game will likely finish well below 220.5.
The Clippers typically don’t play many close games. They either wear down their opponents or get outpaced. Tonight's outcome will heavily depend on the pace established by the Spurs. However, I would favor the money line instead of the spread for either team.
Norman Powell Over 22.5 Points (-105)
On his way to his first all-star game, Norm Powell lives for these games. The 31-year-old veteran should be able to dice this young defense up. Especially if he gets on to the elder of the team, Chris Paul, he’ll have no problem attacking all night. The only question will be the three-point shot tonight. Nothing is easy with Wemby in the paint, but if the three fall, this line is solid.
Victor Wembanyama Over 24.5 Points (-115)
Victor has been elite this year on both ends of the court. The second-year player is proving the hype, and with a weak frontcourt ahead of him, he can take advantage. Ivica Zubac has proven to be a solid center, but he'll likely struggle against the 7’5 French man. Expect big things from Wemby tonight.
Ivica Zubac Under 12.5 Rebounds
Even though he’s been the leading rebound for the Clippers all year, averaging 12.6 boards a game, tonight will be different. With Wemby’s ability to pull bigs out of the paint, he’ll have a hard time staying low to collect enough rebounds tonight. It’s a hard matchup, which will likely impact his rebounding numbers.
James Harden 4+ Made Threes (+140)
Harden has been rock solid this year. As the second leading shottaker on the Clippers, he’ll likely be forced on the perimeter a bit tonight. He can make those shots, though, and without an elite point-of-attack defender on the Spurs, he’ll be able to hit them.