The 45-17 Spurs will host the 30-31 Clippers tonight, tipping off at 9:30 PM EST. The Spurs have not yet submitted their injury report, while the Clippers will be without Darius Garland, John Collins, Bradley Beal, and Yanic Konan Niederhauser.
The Spurs are 6.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook with the total for this game set at 222.5 points.
Spurs vs. Clippers prediction, preview
San Antonio has looked like a true contender, and their recent stretch has been as clean as it gets. They’re 45–17 and have won 13 of their last 14, with Victor Wembanyama headlining the defense as a rim eraser who also tilts the floor offensively. His block numbers are down this season, but that’s due to opponents preferring to avoid him rather than challenge him. And even scarier, he appears to be adjusting in-game as well, by sheathing his reach until the last minute to hide the extent of his length. He stoops and crouches like a tiger in the grass until the shot goes up, and then he swipes up for last-minute denials. Over the last 10, the Spurs have posted the best defensive rating in the league (106.4 DRTG) while scoring 121.3 PPG and piling up 31.2 APG, which characterizes a team winning with pace, passing, and a stifling defense. The way the Spurs pressure their opponents is consistent: Wemby’s backline presence allows his perimeter players to blitz, and on the other end they generate advantages early, then keep swinging until somebody gets a clean look.
The Clippers made waves at the trade deadline by blowing up their team and shipping away James Harden and Ivica Zubac. They’re still in playoff contention, however, and have been solid defensively in their last 10 with 109.6 DEFRTG. The offense has stagnated a bit, with most of the heavy lifting coming from Kawhi Leonard and Bennedict Mathurin. Leonard’s enjoying a monstrous season but will need to keep up this pace to drag the Clippers to the playoffs. Without four players tonight, they’ll lean even more heavily on Leonard to keep this game afloat.
Spurs vs. Clippers pick, best bet
Best Bet: SA Spurs -6.5 (-115)
The Spurs are on a roll, and without Darius Garland tonight to organize the Clippers’ offense, it’s tough to envision hero-ball being effective at cracking the Spurs’ defense. Even if San Antonio’s on the second half of a back to back, I’m expecting them to cover this spread easily.
