Clippers Finally Healthy, On a Roll Going into Showdown with Denver

After battling injuries most of the season, the Clippers are starting to show what they’re capable of. Los Angeles looks to build on two dominant victories this week when it hosts the Nuggets, who have won five of their last six meetings with the Clips.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

Denver opened as a 5.5-point underdog, which would be just the fifth time this season the Nuggets have caught more than 5 points. Early bettors have been more interested in the UNDER, however, betting the total down to 218.5 by Thursday night. Denver beat LA 114-104 on January 12 in Denver as a 1-point favorite, although Paul George did not suit up for the Clippers.

Denver News & Notes

Denver’s backups played a starring role in the Nuggets’ 115-98 win over the Pistons on Tuesday, helping Denver cover the spread for the first time in its last four outings. Power forward Jerami Grant led the way with 29 points in 29 minutes off the bench, missing just four of his 16 shots, while fellow reserve Michael Porter Jr. added 13 points and eight rebounds.

“We have a lot of talent on this team,” Grant told reporters after the game. “You never know where it’s going to come from on any given night.”

The Nuggets also dominated in the paint, taking advantage of an undersized Pistons interior to outscore Detroit 60-32 close to the basket. Over its last three games, Denver is averaging a league-high 62.7 points in the paint, but it’ll be tough for the Nuggets to continue that trend Friday. The Clippers are the sixth-best team in interior defense this season, allowing 44.9 points per game.

Los Angeles News & Notes

The Clippers are 2-0 since Kawhi Leonard called out his team earlier this week, and the improvement is most evident on the defensive end of the floor. LA held the Grizzlies and Suns to an average of 94.5 points in its victories Monday and Wednesday, marking the first time the Clips allowed less than 100 points in consecutive games since early December. Leonard led by example Wednesday in Phoenix, clamping down on the Suns’ Devin Booker and limiting the all-star guard to 5-of-19 shooting from the field.

Offensively, two of LA’s recent acquisitions have picked up the slack for a pair of struggling mainstays. Marcus Morris Sr. and Reggie Jackson combined to score 30 points against the Suns, helping the Clips overcome another poor shooting night from Paul George and a six-point outing from Lou Williams. George has missed 17 of his 24 field-goal attempts in two games since returning from a hamstring injury and is 12-for-46 in his last four outings.

Betting Pick: UNDER 218.5