The Los Angeles Clippers travel to the American Airlines Center to take on the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers will be eager to put an end to a three-game skid after coming up short to the Nets in a 100-93 road loss on Wednesday. Paul George led the team with 24 points, Kawhi Leonard added 17 points while Russell Westbrook tallied 13 points with seven rebounds and eight assists. As a team, the Clippers shot just 39 percent from the field and eight of 36 from the 3-point line as they held the Nets to just 13 points in the first quarter to lead for most of hte contest, but they went cold and managed just 44 points in the second half themsevles to allow the Nets off the hook in the end.
Los Angeles Clippers Team Facts
- The home team has won each of the Clippers’ last eight games.
- The home team has covered the spread in each of the Clippers’ last seven games.
- Each of the Clippers’ last four road games against Western Conference opponents have gone OVER the total points line.
Dallas Mavericks
Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks have been in fine form with six wins in their first eight games, but they will be hoping to bounce back here after getting beaten by the Raptors in a 127-116 loss on Wednesday. Luka Doncic led the team with 31 points, seven rebounds and eight assists, Kyrie Irving added 22 points with five assists while Tim Hardaway Jr. chipped in with 17 points off the bench. As a team, the Mavericks shot 47 percent from the field and 17 of 41 from the 3-point line, but their lack of size was exposed in this meeting with the Raptors winning the rebound battle by 50-38.
Dallas Mavericks Team Facts
- The Mavericks have won eight of their last nine night games against the Clippers following a home loss.
- The Mavericks have failed to cover the spread in each of their last nine home games against teams that held a losing record.
- Each of the last five games between the Clippers and Mavericks have gone UNDER the total points line.
Peter’s Pick
The Clippers are still without Mason Plumlee, while the Mavericks will again be missing Maxi Kleber. The Clippers have a starting lineup that rivals the best teams in the league, but it’s going to take time to learn to play together as we saw in their loss tot he Nets on Wednesday. The Mavericks have been playing well to start the season and they look like the more settled team, so I’m backing the Mavericks to take care of business in this spot.
