Golden State Warriors Vs. Los Angeles Clippers: Predictions, Starting Lineups (12/2/23)
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A hot start to the 2023-24 season has quickly turned sour for the Golden State Warriors, as they have dropped eight of their past 11 games. Can the Dubs secure back-to-back wins against the Clippers to jump-start a winning streak? Our Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Clippers predictions, best bets, and analysis are detailed below.
Golden State Warriors Vs. Los Angeles Clippers Prediction
The most recent matchup between these two teams occurred just a few days ago, with the Golden State Warriors handling the Clippers the whole game. Steph Curry led the way with 26 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds on just 15 field goal attempts, while the Warriors had three bench players post double-digit points, too, including Dario Saric, Brandin Podziemski, and Jonathan Kuminga. It was a well-balanced offensive attack despite missing Chris Paul, Andrew Wiggins, and Gary Payton II.
But can the Warriors win a second-straight game against the Los Angeles Clippers, with this bout being on the road?
They definitely can win on the road, but for this matchup, we will hone in on the spread; the Dubs are getting five points after taking quick care of Los Angeles just a few days prior. Golden State has been terrific on the road this season, holding a 5-4 overall record and a 6-3 ATS record away from Chase Center.
Further, the Clippers have dropped three of their past five games at home and have a net rating of just +0.4 in that span. In a game that projects to be lower-scoring, expect Golden State to stick around just long enough to cover this spread.
Golden State Warriors Vs. Los Angeles Clippers Prediction: Warriors +5.5
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Golden State Warriors Vs. Los Angeles Clippers Best Odds
The Los Angeles Clippers are 5.5-point home favorites against Golden State on Saturday afternoon. The Warriors have Moneyline odds of +185, while Los Angeles is a -225 favorite to win. The point total for this matchup hovers around 229.5, with the Over and Under each holding odds of -110.
Golden State Warriors Starting Lineup
PG: Steph Curry
SG: Moses Moody
SF: Klay Thompson
PF: Draymond Green
C: Kevon Looney
Los Angeles Clippers Starting Lineup
PG: James Harden
SG: Terance Mann
SF: Paul George
PF: Kawhi Leonard
C: Ivica Zubac
Golden State Warriors Vs Los Angeles Clippers Injuries
Golden State has a few players who will be unavailable for this conference matchup, including Usman Garuba (finger), Chris Paul (leg), and Gary Payton II (calf.) Andrew Wiggins is listed as questionable after slamming his car door on his finger.
Meanwhile, the Clippers will be without Mason Plumlee (knee) and Brandon Boston Jr. (quad) but will have every other player available on Saturday afternoon.
Golden State Warriors Vs. Los Angeles Clippers Key Matchups
Two of the greatest players of the 2010s face off in a Western Conference battle on Saturday afternoon. Check out our key matchup of the Warriors versus Clippers game, featuring Steph Curry and James Harden!
Steph Curry vs. James Harden
It isn’t the first time that these two future Hall-of-Famers have faced off, and it certainly won’t be the last. In his career against Harden, Curry has averaged close to 25 points, seven assists, and four rebounds on a 50/42/85 shooting split in the regular season, while the “Beard” has posted 22 points, seven assists, and six rebounds on a 42/35/85 split.
While Harden has little to do with this, it is still encouraging for when they face Curry: the Clippers allow the fifth-fewest points, fourth-fewest three-pointers, and seventh-fewest assists to opposing point guards.
Surprisingly, Curry only took 15 shots a few nights ago against Los Angeles, and while he was efficient, it forced other players to step up. Role players for the Dubs did exactly that, but L.A. did what it wanted to do by getting the ball out of his hands as much as possible. Keeping that in mind, a slight lean still goes to Curry here, as he has been at an All-NBA level once again this season. And Harden isn’t exactly going to help the Clippers’ point-of-attack defense. Slight Advantage: Curry.
