Pick: Clippers -9
Odds: -110
$100 Could Win You…$190.91
The Los Angeles Clippers and Minnesota Timberwolves are two teams headed in staunchly different directions. The Clippers enter Wednesday’s tilt in Minneapolis at 17-8 on the year. That’s good for the third-best record in the Western Conference, and LA is very much in the mix for the No. 1 overall seed in the playoffs.
The Timberwolves, meanwhile, find themselves in the cellar. Minnesota is just 6-18 on the year, which is tied with Detroit for the worst record in the entire league. The Wolves have dealt with no shortage of injury issues this season, and their point differential (minus-8) is also dead-last in the NBA. The Wolves have lost two straight and seven of their last nine coming into tonight’s clash.
As you may expect, LAC is heavily favored in this one. The Clippers are listed at -9 in a game with a 226.5 over/under.
No Paul George for LA
The Clips are big favorites tonight, but they will be playing without a couple of starters. Patrick Beverley will miss another game with a sore knee, while Paul George is expected to miss at least the next two games thanks to an ailing toe. The Clippers have dropped each of their last two games with both players sidelined, including a 113-110 setback against the Kings on Super Bowl Sunday.
The absence of George means a bigger offensive burden for Kawhi Leonard. Leonard is the Clippers’ usage leader on the season, and he has taken a total of 40 shots over the last two games without PG-13. He hasn’t been overly efficient in either game, but he hasn’t had a whole lot of help, either. Kawhi was the only Clipper starter to finish with more than 16 points in last Friday’s loss to Boston, while he was just one of two starters to score in double figures on Sunday against Sacramento.
ICYMI: Injury updates on Patrick Beverley and Paul George: https://t.co/Dmgi535NUW
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) February 10, 2021
Leonard is going to need more help if the Clippers are to get back into the win column this evening. Reggie Jackson, who has been starting in place of Beverley, mustered just two points against the Celtics. He bounced back with 14 against the Kings, but the team shot just over 41 percent from the floor in that game.
The other three starters (Luke Kennard, Nicolas Batum, and Serge Ibaka) combined to shoot just 8-for-23 vs. Sacramento.
Of course, it’s also fair to expect a better offensive showing tonight thanks in large part to the Timberwolves’ lack of defensive quality. Minnesota is just 21st in the league in defensive rating. The Wolves have allowed at least 100 points in each of their last 11 games. LA has the second-best offensive rating in the NBA. They’re not quite as potent without George, but this is still quite the mismatch on paper.
Towns Still Out for Wolves
Some expected the Timberwolves to improve this season, but the team has been derailed by injury and illness thus far. D’Angelo Russell has been limited over the last few games with a lingering leg injury. Karl-Anthony Towns, meanwhile, hasn’t played since January 13 after testing positive. The diagnosis has kept Minnesota’s All-Star center sidelined for nearly a month, and he is not expected to return to the floor in time for tonight’s game.
Ryan Saunders has been desperately looking to find the right formula with his best player sidelined. Minnesota’s rotations have been all over the place of late, but Saunders is still in search of a reliable mix. 12 players saw the floor in the Wolves’ five-point loss to the Mavericks in their last game. Russell left after just six minutes due to his aforementioned injury, which pressed Ricky Rubio (34 minutes) and Jaylen Nowell (21) into bigger roles off the bench.
Ryan Saunders on the look the Timberwolves got on the final shot of the game that went to Naz Reid:
“I mean, I like the layup. And Naz is going to be good for a long time in this league. He’s hurtin’ right now missing that one. But he had an unbelievable half.”
— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) February 7, 2021
Naz Reid has played well in place of Towns. The second-year big man has averaged 12.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per game on the year, but those averages are up to 14.4 points and 6.2 rebounds through five games in February. Jarred Vanderbilt, Jaden McDaniels, and Malik Beasley have given Minnesota solid rotation minutes, as well.
There’s just very little continuity and almost no cohesion with this roster. The end result is a team that ranks 27th in the league in offensive efficiency. Minnesota has mustered just 103.6 points per 100 possessions. Only the Thunder, Magic, and Cavaliers have been more impotent offensively so far in 2020-21.
What’s the Best Bet?
Even with George and Beverley out, it’s hard not to go all-in on the Clippers to cover in this one. The Wolves have the worst point-differential in basketball, and Russell is listed as questionable to play in this game. If he’s out, it’s hard to imagine Minnesota having enough offensive firepower to keep up with Kawhi and company.
The betting public is heavily betting the Clips in this one, and with good reason. A whopping 97 percent of the public money has come in on Clippers -9. If Russell is ultimately ruled out, it’s safe to assume that the spread will get even bigger. Take the current line while you can still get it. LAC -9 is the bet here.
Clippers at Timberwolves Pick
Clippers -9 (-110)
Taylor Smith
Taylor Smith has been a staff writer with GamblingSites.org since early 2017. Taylor is primarily a sports writer, though he will occasionally dabble in other things like politics and entertainment betting. His primary specialties are writing about the NBA, Major League Baseball, NFL and domestic and international soccer. Fringe sports like golf and horse racing aren’t exactly his cup of tea, bu …
