NBA Betting Preview: Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Clippers

The Golden State Warriors are off to another blazing fast start to the NBA season and the Los Angeles Clippers are right behind them. The first and second place teams in the Pacific Division in the Western Conference meet on Monday night that could potentially have playoff implications. The Warriors come in at 11-2 on the year and the Clippers sit at 7-5. This is going to be a good matchup because the Warriors are 4-1 on the road and the Clippers are 5-1 at home this year. The Warriors are the favorites at -2.5.

The Warriors have been rolling as of late coming in off of a big win over the Nets. They did drop a contest to the Bucks two games ago, but the Bucks are a very good team this year. They have won nine of their last ten games. They score 121.9 points per game and allow 110.8 points per game. They pass and share the ball very well as they dish out 30.3 assists each game. They are fast on defense and they garner 7.7 steals a game and 6.0 blocks per game. The Warriors are playing five games this week, so don’t be surprised if there are some players who sit out a game or two. Draymond Green and Stephen Curry are both day-to-day but don’t be surprised if they don’t play in the game against the Clippers. Shaun Livingston is out for this game. Draymond Green is the glue for this team as he averages 7.6 points a game, 7.2 rebounds per game, and 7.9 assists per game. He really does it all. Steph Curry is the leading scorer on the team with 29.2 points per game. The Warriors are going to really contend this year again for the crown at the end of the year with LeBron out of the Eastern Conference. The Warriors, once completely healthy, will be a force to be reckoned with over the entirety of the season and into the playoffs.

The Clippers have won three of their last four games and are coming off a big win over the Bucks in overtime. The Clippers are a team that can get really hot, but also be cold from the field. They score 116.3 points per game and allow 111.7 points a game. They shoot just 47.3 percent from the field, almost five percent lower than the Warriors. They do, however, block 6.1 shots per game and generate 5.3 stelas a game forcing the opposing team to at least think of the shot blockers inside. Tobias Harris leads the team in scoring at 20.7 points per game while shooting 51.4 percent from the floor. Harris also leads the team in rebounding with 8.9 rebounds per game. Patrick Beverley is the leading assist man with 4.2 assists per game.

The Warriors are clearly the better team in this matchup. They should be able to walk into the Staples Center and easily take down the Clippers, but stranger things have happened. If both Green and Curry play I would think that it will be a 15-point win or more. If they won’t play then I would think that the Warriors still end up winning by five or more points in the game. The Clippers do not have the defense to take down the Warriors and I think that it will show in this one. Look for the Warriors to come in and have a big game against the Clippers and set the tone early. Take the Warriors.