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Trail Blazers vs. LA Clippers Expert Pick – April 8, 2023

James Tillman III, Contributor
Will Kawhi be the difference in today's matchup between the Trail Blazers and Clippers? Photo credit: basketball forever.com

Trail Blazers vs. LA Clippers Expert Pick

Trail Blazers vs. LA Clippers Expert Pick – April 8, 2023 -- Greetings basketball fans. Welcome back to our weekly column where we break down some of the marquee matchups from the upcoming weekend’s slate of NBA games. This week, we turn our attention to the LA Clippers (42-38) taking on the Portland Trail Blazers (33-47). Let’s look at this matchup to see which team has the edge.  

 

The Odds

Matchup

Open

Spread

Points

Moneyline

Blazers

(33-47 SU)

+17

+17

o230

+974

Clippers

(42-38 SU)

u225.5

-17

u230

-1799

 

Tipoff

When: Sunday, April 8th at 4:00 pm EST

Where: Crypto.com Arena - Los Angeles, CA

TV: BSSC and ROOT Sports NW

Public Bets: Blazers, 53%

Public Money: Blazers, 53%

Odds courtesy of DraftKings, as of April 8th, 2023

Portland Trail Blazers vs. LA Clippers Season Trends 

Clippers Can Still Improve Playoff Position 

The Clippers come into this matchup having dropped two of their previous three contests. Following a pair of losses to the Memphis Grizzlies (108-94) and New Orleans Pelicans (122-114), the Clippers got back into the win column with a 125-118 over the Los Angeles Lakers.  

Norman Powell led the Clippers in that contest with 27 points, four assists, and two steals. Kawhi Leonard contributed 25 points to go along with seven rebounds and four assists. Ivica Zubac posted a double-double that included 17 points and 13 rebounds. The Clippers currently trail the Golden State Warriors by a half-game for the No. 5 spots and they have a half-game lead over the Lakers and the New Orleans for the No. 6 spot.  

If it wins out, LA can still finish with the fifth-best record in the conference. It can also drop to the ninth spot if they stumble down the stretch. That said, the Clippers are hoping to make quick work of a Blazers’ squad with very little to play for.  

Blazers Using Different Lineup After Being Eliminated from Playoff Contention 

As is the case with the Clippers, the Blazers have lost two of their last three outings as well. On the heels of a 107-105 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves last Sunday, Portland came up short in losses against the Grizzlies (119-109) and the San Antonio Spurs (129-127). Additionally, the Blazers have opted to sit Damian Lillard out for the rest of the season. Even if Lillard was in the rotation, I would go with the Clippers, to come out on top. But without Lillard in the mix, it is difficult to foresee the Blazers pulling this one out.  

Portland Trail Blazers vs. LA Clippers Head-To-Head and Betting Trends 

The Clippers have taken both meetings between these two ball clubs this season, giving them five wins in six tries against the Blazers. I expect more of the same when these teams square off later today. 

The Picks 

Over/Under 

At the time of this writing, there is no O/U info available. With that in mind, we will discuss this from a general standpoint. The projected total has gone UNDER in five of Portland’s last seven games. The Under is also 5-2 following games in which Portland gave up 100 points to their opponent. The Spurs scored 127 points on Thursday night.  

The UNDER holds a 13-6 mark in Portland’s last 19 games on the road against teams that have a winning home record. The Clippers are 22-18 at home this season.  

The projected total has gone UNDER for the Clippers 19 times in their last 27 games when going against teams with a losing record. Portland is 33-47. 

The UNDER is 35-16-1 in the Clippers’ last 52 home games in which they are playing on two days of rest.  

Simply put, go with the UNDER.  

The Spread 

The Blazers are a perfect 4-0 against the spread in their last four road contests. They also have a 4-1 record ATS in their last five road games against teams with a winning home record. LA has a 22-18 mark at home.  

The Clippers are 1-4 ATS in their last five games following an ATS victory. LA is also 1-4 ATS in their last five games following a straight-up win.  

LA has a woeful 5-22 record ATS in their last 27 games when playing on two days of rest. Their last game was on Wednesday.  

Based on the trends, I’m going to pick the Clippers to win, but Portland to cover (+16.5) 

Player Prop Bet 

My player to watch from this matchup is Clippers’ forward Kawhi Leonard. He has the same odds of scoring more than 25.5 points (-115) and below 25.5 points (-115). 

Leonard has played 24 times against the Blazers, averaging 19.9 points per contest.  

However, Leonard has eclipsed the 25.5 points threshold five times in his last seven outings. 

James's Picks

Over 230 total points

Trail Blazers (+17)

PPB: Kawhi Leonard OVER 26.5 points

Author

  • James is an accounting professional by day and a freelance writer at night. James has been publishing sports content for over 13 years for various outlets. The list includes FanSided, Latest Basketball News, Odds USA, Last Word on Sports, Onlinebetting.com (OBCOM), and Sportsbook Review James always researches team/player trends to ensure he is offering his betting audience the best advice possible. Simply put, he takes his writing very seriously. He is an NBA handicapper who keeps a watchful eye on most of the sports leagues. His preferences, when it comes to betting content, pertain to the NBA and the NFL. Alongside his work for Godzilla Wins and OnlineBetting.com, James has also published sports betting content with other betting sites such as ODDS USA and Eat Watch Bet. Although betting on sports is never an exact science, James always does his best to keep it simple when it comes to offering predictions on games, which in turn, inspires confidence in novice bettors.

    View all posts

Author

  • James is an accounting professional by day and a freelance writer at night. James has been publishing sports content for over 13 years for various outlets. The list includes FanSided, Latest Basketball News, Odds USA, Last Word on Sports, Onlinebetting.com (OBCOM), and Sportsbook Review James always researches team/player trends to ensure he is offering his betting audience the best advice possible. Simply put, he takes his writing very seriously. He is an NBA handicapper who keeps a watchful eye on most of the sports leagues. His preferences, when it comes to betting content, pertain to the NBA and the NFL. Alongside his work for Godzilla Wins and OnlineBetting.com, James has also published sports betting content with other betting sites such as ODDS USA and Eat Watch Bet. Although betting on sports is never an exact science, James always does his best to keep it simple when it comes to offering predictions on games, which in turn, inspires confidence in novice bettors.

    View all posts

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