NBA Prediction: Celtics vs. Clippers
The second game of Friday night’s NBA doubleheader on ESPN will pit the Celtics against the Clippers in L.A. at 10:00 p.m. ET. Will the Clippers cash as a 5-point home favorite or are the Celtics the better play as a road underdog?
Game Snapshot
527 Boston Celtics (+5) at 528 Los Angeles Clippers (-5); o/u 221
10:00 p.m. ET, Friday, February 5, 2021
Venue: STAPLES Center, Los Angeles, CA
TV: ESPN
Boston Celtics DFS Spin
Kemba Walker will play on Friday against the Clippers. Walker took his usual rest day on the second game of a back-to-back on Wednesday, but he’ll play on Friday. He’s struggled shooting in his last two games though, making just 7-of-30 shots for 23 points, 13 rebounds, and nine assists in 59 minutes.
Los Angeles Clippers DFS Spin
Kawhi Leonard scored 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting Wednesday, to go with six boards, three dimes, three treys, one steal and four turnovers across 32 minutes in a win over the Cavs. The Clippers are 4-0 in the second half of back-to-back sets this season, and a large part of that has to do with the fact that Leonard isn’t skipping back-to-backs this season. It was impressive to see him take the floor after logging 39 minutes in Tuesday’s loss to the Nets, so he appears to be very serious about reversing the back-to-rest trend. He currently ranks No. 2 overall in 9-cat leagues with averages of 26.3 points, 5.2 boards, 5.4 dimes, 1.9 triples, 1.9 steals, 0.7 swats and just 1.6 turnovers per game.
Celtics vs. Clippers Betting Prediction
The Clippers are 4-1 against the spread in their last five games overall, are 7-2 against the number in their last nine games as a favorite and are 4-1 at the betting window in their last five home games following a road trip of seven or more days. The Celtics, meanwhile, are just 1-4 against the number in their last five games when facing an opponent with a winning percentage above .600 and are 2-5 against the spread in their last seven games when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous contest.
NBA BETTING PREDICTION: LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS -5