There are nine NBA games on Sunday’s slate. One of the final contests is between the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Clippers.
The Clippers are looking to contend and have the oldest roster in the NBA with an average age of 30.7. They are off to a 1-1 start to the season. Meanwhile, the Trail Blazers have a more balanced roster, but are heavily invested in their youthful core. They also enter with a 1-1 record.
The Clippers enter as 7.5-point favorites and hold -325 moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Trail Blazers are +260 with the game total set at 224.5 points.
This article will look at a preview and prediction for this Sunday night matchup.
Clippers vs. Trail Blazers preview, prediction
The Los Angeles Clippers came out of gates extremely flat this season, losing to the Utah Jazz 129-108 in the season opener. They rebounded with a 129-102 win over the Suns on Friday night in the home opener. The ceiling of the team is clear, but Los Angeles can be vulnerable against younger, more athletic teams which is what it will see tonight.
James Harden leads the production with averages of 22.5 points, 9.0 assists and 4.5 rebounds through the opening two games. Kawhi Leonard has started the season healthy and is averaging 18.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists. Ivica Zubac headlines the big man responsibilities while Brook Lopez, John Collins, and rookie Yanic Konan Niederhauser each make an impact. Bradley Beal is still finding his role off the bench while Nicolas Batum, Kris Dunn, Derrick Jones Jr. and Chris Paul round out most of their depth.
The Trail Blazers should be encouraged with their 1-1 start. They fell respectably 118-114 to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the season opener before producing an impressive 139-119 win over the Warriors on Friday night. Portland has done a nice job establishing a defensive-minded identity and have more talent on its roster than a casual NBA fan would be aware of.
Jerami Grant headlines the scoring production with 25.5 points per game with Deni Avdija right behind him at 23 PPG through the opening two games. Jrue Holiday establishes a veteran presence and leans into their defensive mindset. Shaedon Sharpe, Toumani Camara, Donovan Clingan, Yang Hansen and Kris Murray make up a youthful core. Scoot Henderson is also hoped to be a key part of this but is recovering from a hamstring tear that will keep him sidelined for several more weeks.
Clippers vs. Trail Blazers prediction, best bet
There is no doubt that if the Clippers play their best basketball the Trail Blazers will not be able to touch them. But the early returns suggest the roster might be missing some energy guys that get the team going on a night-to-night basis.
This will prove problematic in this matchup since Portland isn’t a cakewalk. It is too early to read into statistical trends much, but the Trail Blazers are forcing the most turnovers in the league through the first two games. They also finished last season as one of the best defensive teams in the league and are continuing to build off this.
While I expect the Clippers to find a way to win in clutch time, the spread is too significant for my liking. Portland’s young core can keep this game close throughout and cover the 7.5-point spread.
