When a team is under performing at the start of the season, they will often look to their schedule to see if there is a doormat team coming up. The LA Clippers have not looked particularly good through their opening 10 games, and are in need of an opponent that they can rough up a little. They might get that when they travel to Portland to face the Trail Blazers on Friday, but there is always the possibility that it could all blow up in their face.
Los Angeles Clippers vs Portland Trail Blazers NBA Betting Preview
Date/Time: Friday, November 20, 2015 10:00 PM ET Venue: Moda Center Opening Lines: Clippers -3.5(-105), Trail Blazers +3.5(-105) (Live Stream Option)
They’re here! Check out the top plays of the week! » https://t.co/uIaOwHB2VJ pic.twitter.com/Gxp4c2MecL
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) November 16, 2015
The Clippers (6-4) saw their season start off as expected, as they rolled to wins in each of their first 4 games. They have been unable to match that of late, though, and it certainly doesn’t help that Chris Paul and JJ Reddick have become injury concerns. One thing that is getting missed in all of the coverage about what is wrong with the Clippers is the one thing that is right. That would be the play of Blake Griffin, who sits just behind Steph Curry in Player Efficiency Rating. Those two are the only guys in the league currently sporting a PER over 30, yet very few people are drawing attention to the start to the season that Griffin is having. The thing that makes Griffins heroics all the more remarkable is that he is averaging close to 35 minutes per game on the court. If he can maintain this level of play when the Clippers are healthy, this is a team that could well be the threat we all thought they were going to be.
There were some folks who got a little carried away when the Trail Blazers (4-9) jumped out to a 4-2 start to the season, but 7 straight losses have seen all those folks brought right back down to earth. Portland was scoring points for fun in those early season games, and while they still have a PPG average over 100, it has taken a serious knock with back to back games where they scored 94 and 80 points. They did get some better scoring against the Houston Rockets in their last game, but still managed to lose 108-103 in OT against a team that is really struggling. It’s hard to really figure out what this team is all about this season, as the way they are playing right now is so different than how they looked in those winning efforts. Confidence seems to have gone out the window, and the losses will continue to pile up until they get it back.
Key NBA Lines Betting Trends
- LA Clippers is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
- LA Clippers is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
- The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Clippers’s last 6 games
- Portland is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
- Portland is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
- The total has gone OVER in 7 of Portland’s last 9 games
