The Los Angeles Clippers visit the Verizon Center to take on the Washington Wizards. The game starts at 7:00 pm ET on Monday, Dec. 28 and will air on PRI and WA2.
The Wizards beat the Nets 111-96 on Saturday. With 22 points and 13 assists, John Wall recorded his 15th double-double this season. The Clippers, meanwhile, are coming off a 109-104 win over the Jazz on Saturday. J.J. Redick shot 8-for-11 and led in scoring with 25 points.
Marcin Gortat has been playing at a high level as of late for the Wizards, averaging 20.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.8 steals, and 2.0 blocks over the last five games. Chris Paul has also been on a tear in the same span, averaging 22.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, 9.4 assists, 3.4 steals, and 1.8 three-pointers while leading the Clippers.
When considering effective field goal percentage, the Clippers figure to have a substantial advantage on the offensive end. They rank fifth in the NBA in that category at 50.7%, whereas Washington’s bottom-tier effective field goal percentage defense ranks 28th with opponents connecting at a clip of 52.3%.
Oddsmakers have deemed this game an even matchup and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at 205 points. The Wizards enter the game with records of 14-14 Straight Up (SU) and 15-13 Against The Spread (ATS). In their last 10 games, they are 7-3 ATS. Expect Washington to have lots of opportunities at the line against the Clippers, who are one of the most foul-prone teams in the league with an average of 22.8 fouls per game.
On the other side, Los Angeles has a SU record of 18-13 and an ATS record of 11-18-2. Although the team has done very well in games against Eastern Conference foes (6-3), Los Angeles sports a lackluster 3-5-1 record ATS. The Clippers rank fifth in the league in road scoring, averaging 103.3 points per game. The Clippers rarely make costly errors handling the ball. They have the fourth-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the league at 1.74.
This game marks the first time these teams will play this season. The last time the Wizards and the Clippers played, Los Angeles won, moving its SU record against the Wizards to 8-2 in their last 10 head-to-head meetings. The teams have an even record ATS, 5-5.
Predictions: SU Winner – LAC, ATS Winner – LAC, O/U – Over
Notes
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Washington’s last 8 games.
Washington is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington’s last 5 games when playing LA Clippers.
Washington is 2-11 SU in their last 13 games when playing LA Clippers.
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Washington’s last 10 games when playing at home against LA Clippers.
Washington is 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against LA Clippers.
Washington is 2-4 ATS in their last 6 games when playing at home against LA Clippers.
The total has gone OVER in 7 of the LA Clippers last 10 games when playing on the road against Washington.
Washington ranks 10th in points per game with 102.2, while Los Angeles ranks 16th in points allowed with an average of 100.7 given up.
On average, Washington puts up 104.7 points per home game (ranked sixth). Los Angeles ranks 17th in points allowed per road game with 103.0.
In games where they allow fewer than 100 points, the Washington Wizards are a dazzling 9-1. In games where they fail to hit triple digits, the Los Angeles Clippers have an abysmal record of 2-7.
The Washington Wizards have a poor 5-13 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The Los Angeles Clippers are 16-6 when they hit triple digits.
The Wizards have an offensive rating of 102.4 (ranked 17th). The Clippers rank 14th for their defensive rating of 102.4.
The Washington Wizards average 99.8 possessions per game and 1.024 points per possession, while the Los Angeles Clippers earn fewer possessions (98.1) but more points per possession (1.044).
Washington is among the top-ranked teams based on its average effective field goal percentage of 50.6% (ranked sixth in the NBA). Los Angeles is a subpar 1-6 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
Washington makes an average of 23.5 assists per game (ranked seventh), while Los Angeles makes 22.8 assists per game (ranked eighth).
Washington makes an average of 3.6 blocks per game (ranked 28th). Los Angeles ranks higher in blocks with 5.3 (ranked 11th).
Washington is ranked 28th when it comes to offensive rebounding. Los Angeles ranks 21st in defensive rebounds.
The Washington Wizards rank eighth in steals, with an average of 8.6 per game. When the Los Angeles Clippers allow at least 8 steals, they have a solid 11-7 record.
