In the finale of tonight’s seven-game NBA slate, the Washington Wizards will travel to take on the Los Angeles Clippers.
This is the first matchup between these two teams this year. Although they will square off again on Monday, back in Washington. Both these teams currently sit out of the postseason mix, but each have some reason for encouragement in recent games.
Looking at the odds for tonight, the Clippers are 12.5-point favorites and hold -675 odds on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Wizards are +490 underdogs with the game total set at 226.5 points.
This article will look at a preview and prediction for the Wednesday night matchup.
Wizards at Clippers Preview
The Wizards are off to a 10-28 start to the season and sit in 14th place in the Eastern Conference. They enter this matchup on a three-game losing streak, but they made some headlines with the recent trade to bring in Trae Young. It is to-be-determined how soon and how frequently the former Hawks star will suit up this season, but the organization is clearly making an effort to lay the foundation to take a leap forward next season. So far this season, Washington is 15-23 against the spread, and the game total has gone 19-19 this year.
Alex Sarr has shown some legitimate All-Star potential this season, averaging 17.3 points and 7.8 rebounds while leading the NBA at 2.3 blocks per game. Kyshawn George adds 14.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.9 assists, while Tre Johnson and Bilal Coulibaly each also average in double figures. Marvin Bagley III has provided some nice rotational minutes, while Bub Carrington, Justin Champagnie, Will Riley, and AJ Johnson have each had some nice flashes. Trae Young and Cam Whitmore will remain sidelined for tonight.
As a team, the Wizards are averaging 112.8 points per game, which ranks 25th in the NBA. They rank 27th in offensive rating, 23rd in field goal percentage, 15th in three-point percentage, and seventh in pace. Defensively, they are holding opponents to 124.0 points per game, which is the second-worst rate in the league. Washington also ranks 29th in defensive rating, 20th in opponents’ field goal percentage, 19th in opponents’ three-point percentage, and allows the most rebounds to opponents in the league.
It was a nightmare start to the season for the Los Angeles Clippers. The aging roster got off to a 6-21 start to the season, but have won 10 of their last 12 to move to 16-23 on the year. This includes entering this matchup on a three-game winning streak, which came against the Nets, Pistons, and Hornets. Los Angeles has gone 18-21 against the spread, and the game total has gone under in 20 of their 39 games.
The driving force of this turnaround has been Kawhi Leonard returning to his All-Star level of play. The two-time Finals MVP is averaging 28.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists, while leading the NBA at 2.2 steals per game. James Harden has also continued to produce, posting averages of 25.8 points, 8.0 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game. John Collins has made a positive impact in his first season in Los Angeles, averaging 13.1 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. Kris Dunn, Brook Lopez, and Nico Batum each also play a key role in the rotation. Leonard is officially listed as questionable for tonight with an ankle injury. Ivica Zubac is also questionable with an ankle sprain, while Bogdan Bogdanovic, Derrick Jones Jr, and Bradley Beal will miss.
The Clippers are averaging 112.1 points per game, which ranks 27th in the NBA. They rank 12th in offensive rating, ninth in field goal percentage, 10th in three-point percentage, and 28th in pace. Defensively, opponents are averaging 1135 points per game against the Clippers, which ranks 13th in the NBA. Los Angeles also ranks 23rd in defensive rating, 16th in opponents’ field goal percentage, and 21st in opponents’ three-point percentage.
Wizards at Clippers Prediction, Best Bet
This recent stretch of strong play was essential to the Clippers having any chance of making this season any sort of playoff success. They also have showcased an intriguing ability to bury inferior opponents and cover these types of double digit spreads of late. Over their most recent 10 wins, seven have come by more than the 12.5-point margin.
While Washington is generally moving in the right direction as an organization, don’t expect these results to show this year. They are producing the worst average scoring margin in the league, losing by 11.2 points per game. The Wizards enter this matchup having lost by 13+ points in three consecutive games and each of their past six losses. This includes falling 128-107 to the New Orleans Pelicans and 126-109 to the Charlotte Hornets.
Desperation appears to have finally kicked in for the Clippers, and their stars have found a way to begin making a consistent impact. Expect Kawhi Leonard and James Harden to shine as the clear best players on the floor and work to put this game away early. Washington lacks the number of offensive creators to stick with Los Angeles, and this has a chance of getting ugly early.
There is no doubt that there is more win-now talent on this Clippers team. While the 12.5-point spread is significant, Los Angeles has been reaching this margin at a high rate while Washington has shown little resistance to keeping things close. Count on the Clippers to take care of business tonight and for the Wizards to pick up their seventh consecutive loss of 13+ points.
