Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Clippers ATS Odds

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The Denver Nuggets (23-21) look to put an end to the five-game winning streak of Los Angeles when they travel to Staples Center to go head-to-head against the Clippers (22-21). Action begins at 10:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 17, 2018, and it can be seen on ESPN.

Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Clippers ATS Preview

The Nuggets won a close one over the Dallas Mavericks in their last outing, 105-102. Nikola Jokic was the top scorer from either team with 29 points on 11-for-23 shooting. Denver’s rebounding was their biggest strength. The Nuggets had more offensive rebounds (15 vs. five), defensive rebounds (32 vs. 30) and total rebounds (47 vs. 35).

In the Clippers last matchup, they defeated the Houston Rockets, 113-102. Los Angeles Blake Griffin had a solid performance, recording 29 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. The Clippers knocked down 15 of their 20 free throws (75.0 percent) and had an effective field goal percentage of 0.620 (above their season average of 0.521).

A focal point for the Los Angeles offense is getting to the free throw line. The Clippers rank fourth in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.223), but Denver is among the best in the NBA at keeping opponents away from the charity stripe (ranking fourth by yielding a FTA rate of 0.168). Moreover, the Nuggets rank second in offensive rebounding percentage (26.7 percent), while the Clippers rank 28th in defensive rebounding percentage (76.0 percent).

These two teams are complete opposites in terms of the O/U total. Denver games have gone under 58.1 percent of the time, while games including Los Angeles have gone over 55.8 percent of the time. Both teams have decent straight up (SU) records (23-21 for Denver; 22-21 for Los Angeles), but the Clippers have the edge against the spread (ATS). Los Angeles is 24-18-1 ATS, while the Nuggets are 20-21-2.

Both teams have had a player trending in the right direction over their last five games. For the Nuggets, it’s been Jokic, who has averaged 15.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 1.4 steals, while the Clippers have received solid contributions from Lou Williams (32.6 points, 4.4 assists and 1.4 steals).

This will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams, after the Nuggets won three out of four meetings last season. In the last matchup, Denver won 129-114. The Nuggets dominated nearly every facet of the game. They had an offensive rebounding percentage of 26.8 and a solid free throw rate of 0.256. For those same stats, the Clippers were 9.8 and 0.119, respectively.

Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Clippers Free Prediction

Predictions: SU Winner – Nuggets, ATS Winner – Nuggets, O/U – Over

Betting Notes:

  • The Nuggets rank first in rebounds allowed per game (40.9) while the Clippers rank 16th (43.6).
  • Denver ranks 13th in steals per game (7.8) while Los Angeles ranks 21st in steals allowed per game (8.4).
  • Denver averages 23.4 assists per game, which ranks seventh in the league. Los Angeles ranks 22nd in assists allowed per game (23.7).
  • Denver averages 4.5 blocks per game, which ranks 19th in the league. Los Angeles ranks 20th in blocks allowed per game (5.1).
  • Los Angeles is 12-10 ATS at home, while Denver is 8-13-2 ATS on the road.
  • The total has gone under in 13 of the Nuggets 23 road games, while 13 of the Clippers 22 home games have gone over.
  • Los Angeles is 10-2 when they hold opponents under 100 points, while Denver is 12-2.
  • In games where they reach the century mark, the Nuggets are 18-12 and the Clippers are 20-14.
  • The Clippers average 16.2 points off turnovers per game, which ranks 17th in the NBA. The Nuggets rank 29th in points off turnovers allowed per game (19.5).
  • Denver ranks ninth in fast break points per game (13.5) while Los Angeles ranks last in fast break points allowed per game (14.7).
  • The Nuggets rank first in second chance points per game (14.9) while the Clippers rank 19th in second chance points allowed per game (13.1).
  • The Nuggets rank 10th in three pointers attempted per game (30.2) while the Clippers rank 18th in three pointers allowed per game (29.1).
  • Los Angeles ranks fifth in points in the paint per game (48.7) while Denver ranks 20th in points allowed in the paint per game (45.7).

Betting Trends:

  • Los Angeles is 4-1 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under in their last five games.
  • Over their last five games, Denver is 1-3-1 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over.
  • The Clippers average margin of victory in their last five games has been 11.6, up from 0.7 for the season.
  • During their last five games, the Nuggets have scored an average of 96.6 points per game (9.6 below their season average) and allowed an average of 105.2 points per game (0.3 below their season average).