The Denver Nuggets (28-47) play the visiting Los Angeles Clippers (50-26) at the Pepsi Center. The game gets underway at 9:00 pm ET on Saturday, Apr. 4 and will air on FSN-PT and Altitude2.
The Nuggets were beaten by the Jazz 98-84 on Wednesday. Kenneth Faried put in a solid effort despite the loss for Denver, recording 19 points and 10 rebounds to earn his 23rd double-double of the season. The Clippers, meanwhile, are coming off a 126-122 win over the Trail Blazers on Wednesday. Chris Paul had a good game, recording 41 points and 17 assists to claim his 38th double-double of the season.
Paul has been on a tear over the last five games for the Clippers, averaging 25.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 11.8 assists, 2.4 steals, and 2.6 three-pointers.
The aggressive Clippers offense seems poised to make an impact from the foul line. They rank fifth in the NBA at getting to the stripe (free throw attempt rate of 30.0), while Denver is among the league’s most foul-prone squads (giving up a 28th-ranked free throw attempt rate of 31.3).
The two teams have split their matchups this season. The Clippers had the upper hand in the most recent game, a 102-98 win. Arron Afflalo was a top player in the game with 18 points, three rebounds, six assists, three steals, one block, and two three-pointers.
The odds are even for this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is currently unavailable. The Nuggets enter the game with records of 28-47 Straight Up (SU) and 32-40-3 Against The Spread (ATS). They have a record of 17-28 SU and 19-24-2 ATS versus the Western Conference.
Across the court, the Clippers head into the game with records of 35-41 ATS and 50-26 SU. In Western Conference games, Los Angeles has gone 31-15 SU and 21-25 ATS. They sport the second-ranked scoring offense in the league, averaging 106.8 points per game. Defenses have a tough time accounting for every player when up against the Clippers, who are known for distributing the ball with 24.7 assists per game.
Following the Clippers’ latest win over Denver, the two teams’ head-to-head record is now an even 5-5 SU in their last 10 games. The Nuggets hold the advantage ATS with a record of 6-4. When it comes to field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers, Denver held the edge in all three of these categories three times in the last 10 meetings. Los Angeles did so once.
Predictions: SU Winner – LAC, ATS Winner – LAC
Notes
The Los Angeles Clippers average 106.8 points per game (ranked second), while the Denver Nuggets give up a whopping 103.8 points (ranked 27th).
Denver allows 102.6 points at home this season. Topping the league in road scoring, Los Angeles scores 107.4 points in away games.
In games where they allow fewer than 100 points, the Los Angeles Clippers are a superb 31-4. In games where they score fewer than 100 points, the Denver Nuggets have an underachieving record of 4-27.
Los Angeles has a 19-22 record when allowing at least 100 points. Denver has a 24-20 record when it hits triple digits.
The Clippers have the league’s top offensive rating (109.4). The Nuggets have a defensive rating of 104.2 (ranked 22nd).
The Los Angeles Clippers have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking second in the league with a FG% of 47.3%. When their opponents record a similar or higher FG%, the Denver Nuggets have a subpar 2-24 record.
The Denver Nuggets average 24.6 three point attempts per game and have an abysmal 9-28 record when attempting at least 25 in a game. The Los Angeles Clippers average 26.7 attempts and have a solid 33-16 record when attempting 25 or more.
The Los Angeles Clippers top the league in assist to turnover ratio this season with an A/TO of 2.09. The Denver Nuggets have an A/TO of 1.58 (ranked 18th).
The Denver Nuggets rebound 44.5 times per game and are ranked seventh. Ranked 20th, the Los Angeles Clippers rebound 42.5 times per game.
The Los Angeles Clippers rank 28th in offensive rebounding, while the Denver Nuggets rank 13th in defensive rebounding.
Los Angeles has forced an average turnover percentage of 13.8% this season. Denver has a poor 12-23 record when its TOV% is 13.8% or higher.
