It’s a potential first-round Western Conference playoff preview when Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers visit the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday – the NBA odds will be determined on whether Blazers All-Star Damian Lillard is able to return from a hamstring injury.

How to Bet Clippers at Trail Blazers NBA Odds & TV Info

• When: Tuesday, 10 PM ET
• Where: Moda Center
• TV: TNT
• Stream: TNT app
• Radio:com
• NBA Odds: TBA

Season Series

Los Angeles goes for the three-game sweep. The teams last played on April 6 in L.A. and the Clippers rolled 133-116.  Paul George scored 36 points and the Los Angeles Clippers rode a franchise-best 47-point first quarter to the easy win. Kawhi Leonard added 29 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. Norman Powell scored 32 points and CJ McCollum added 24 points for the Blazers. Star Damian Lillard was just 2-for-14 for 11 points. Portland leads the all-time series 147-83 and is 88-25 at home.

Why Bet on LA Clippers? | 2021 NBA Expert Analysis

The Clippers had little trouble in beating visiting Minnesota on Sunday, 124-105. The Clippers crushed the Timberwolves from the perimeter, going 21-of-42 from distance, which marked just the seventh time in franchise history (third time this season) that L.A. has made at least 20 three-pointers.

Kawhi Leonard recorded 15 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. Leonard had missed the previous four games, but it looked as if he hadn’t missed any time as he ended just two assists shy of a triple-double while grabbing double-digit boards for the eighth time this season. He only played 23 minutes.

Paul George had 23 points, seven rebounds and five assists in 27 minutes. He ended a streak of five straight games with at least 30 points, but he has scored 20 or more in eight of his last 10 outings.

Ivica Zubac added 13 points and six rebounds in 22 minutes. He has scored in double digits in five of his last six games. Zubac is averaging 12.0 points while shooting 72.5 percent from the field in that span. Nicolas Batum (rest) was given the game off simply for rest. He should be back here.

In the third quarter of games this season, the Clippers rank first in 3P% (.434), third in plus/minus differential (2.0) and in FT% (.841), tied for fourth in points (29.4) and sixth in FG% (.495). In addition, the Clips are once again one of the top bench teams in the NBA. The bench unit ranks first in 3P% (.422), fourth in FT% (.816), fifth in FG% (.472) and in points (39.3), and tied for ninth in rebounds (16.9).

Why Bet on Portland? | 2021 NBA Expert Analysis

Portland is struggling of late and was beaten 109-101 in Charlotte on Sunday without superstar Damian Lillard. Charlotte jumped out to a 20-point lead at the end of the first quarter, while Portland’s defense looked out of sorts, especially in transition. After being down by as many as 29, Portland’s small-ball lineup midway through the final period cut the lead to single digits in big thanks to Carmelo Anthony but it wouldn’t be enough.

Lillard has missed the past two with a hamstring injury and is questionable for this one. Lillard (1,988 career 3PM) is tied with Jason Kidd for 10th on the NBA all-time list for career made three-pointers. Lillard is third among active players (Steph Curry, James Harden). Lillard is averaging 28.7 points, 7.7 assists and 4.2 rebounds on the year.

C.J. McCollum was a bit off in Sunday’s loss in shooting 8-for-22 for 22 points along with six rebounds and six assists. McCollum surpassed the 20-point mark for the third time in his last five outings while also pacing Portland in both assists and steals. He has scored at least 15 points in each of his last 14 contests, averaging 22.2 points per tilt during that stretch. McCollum is averaging 3.9 made three-pointers per game this season, which ranks fourth in the NBA.

Carmelo Anthony had 24 points in 28 minutes off the bench. Anthony’s scoring figures have been inconsistent this season, but he’s managed to score 20-plus points in two of his last three appearances. Anthony has six single-digit scoring games and six with at least 10 points over his last 12 contests.

Norman Powell struggled with his shot in Sunday’s loss to the Hornets, going 6-of-16 from the field and 4-of-4 from the line for 17 points over 39 minutes. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, who got the start on the same day that he signed his second 10-day contract, added seven points, five rebounds and an assist in 21 minutes.

With the loss, the Blazers split the season series with the Hornets 1-1 and remain in sixth-place in the Western Conference standings with 16 games to play.

Expert Prediction

• Clippers 118, Trail Blazers 112

 

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