It’s hard to find two teams with a bigger identity gap than the Thunder and the Clippers. Los Angeles has said goodbye to James Harden and Kawhi Leonard in a matter of months, all while a salary cap circumvention investigation hung over them. Now they’re reshaping the roster on the fly and looking to hit reset from top to bottom. Oklahoma City said a few goodbyes this offseason, but they’ve largely kept the same roster for the last three seasons and know what they’re all about. It’ll be fascinating to see what the Clippers can pull together in the NBA’s toughest road environment.
The Thunder enter as 14.5-point favorites with the game total set at 221.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook. Let’s get into my prediction and best bet for this Western Conference matchup.
Clippers vs. Thunder Preview
Los Angeles is heading in a new direction this season, and the first two games have made it clear that Darius Garland is at the helm. He’s leading the Clippers with a whopping 33.2% usage rate this season; head coach Ty Lue wants the ball in his 26-year-old point guard’s hands. So far, that has been excellent for LA’s offense.
It remains to be seen how their offense will look with Brandon Ingram, their chief return from the Kawhi Leonard trade, who has yet to make his team debut because of a partially torn right Achilles. Until then, it’s Garland in complete control, and some of the role players are popping. Adding Rui Hachimura gives LA two strong play-finishing forwards alongside Derrick Jones Jr. Brook Lopez isn’t what he used to be, but he can still space the floor and set a solid screen. Keaton Wagler getting to play a complementary role will help his long-term development, and he can contribute from the get-go. They’re going to be fun when healthy.
But on Sunday, they’ll run into the buzzsaw. A litany of key playoff injuries stopped the Oklahoma City Thunder from repeating as champions; now that they’re healthy, dominance is back on the menu. They already have two 12-point wins over Western playoff teams under their belt, defeating the Spurs 116-104 and the Nuggets 96-84. The defense is kicking it into gear early, with Chet Holmgren looking like his DPOY-level self from the jump. The core of their championship-level defense remains, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to develop into the league’s best scorer.
For the Clippers to have a chance, Garland must handle the pressure. He’ll spend much of the game fighting off Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace, two of the sport’s best perimeter defenders. If he can keep his handle and find shots for his teammates, Los Angeles can put enough offensive pressure on the Thunder to keep this a game.
Clippers vs. Thunder Pick, Best Bet
Fifteen points is quite the margin for the Thunder to be priced at. It’s no surprise they’re being treated as a blowout machine — they are. Oklahoma City looks to be hitting the ground running, while the Los Angeles Clippers still have much to figure out. That cohesion will make the difference as the Thunder move to 3-0 this season.
