Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Clippers Betting Preview – NBA Odds, Predictions, and Picks for 1/18

After a less than convincing start to the season, the Golden State Warriors are back on top of the Western Conference.

They completely blew away the Denver Nuggets with a record-breaking performance and finally ended their opponents’ run of 12 home games without a loss.

Their three top shooters look to have found their form, and reports are coming out that DeMarcus Cousins will be available for selection in Friday’s game. All good news from the Warriors camp.

The Clippers don’t have too much to brag about as of late. After being defeated by the struggling Pelicans on Monday, they are now on a three-game losing streak.

They are still lingering among the playoff spots, but things may get even worse. Looking at their schedule, they have some tough tests coming up, and we may soon be looking at a crisis for the team.

So, will the Clippers be able to mount any kind of a challenge? They were able to beat the Warriors in their previous visit to the Staples Center, but things are looking a lot different now.

I will share my prediction and final betting picks for the Warriors vs. Clippers game below, but let’s see what the best sports betting sites are offering first.

Here are the odds the bookies are providing for the game between the Warriors and the Clippers.

(Odds to follow when released.)

The Golden State Warriors are definitely staking a claim with their recent performances. The emphatic win against Denver will send chills down the spines of their opponents. The Nuggets, who were the conference leaders before the game and had a run of 12 home wins, were completely outclassed.

And when I say completely, I mean it. The game ended 142-111 for the Warriors! The visitors scored a record 51 points in the first quarter, but they were dominant throughout.

They shot an astounding 60% from the floor and 53.8% from the three-point line. Klay Thompson and Steph Curry both finished the game with 31 points each, and Kevin Durant added a further 27.

Denver has been leading the conference since the start of the season, and people were starting to talk about them finishing as the top seed. They can still rally the ranks and do it, but it is looking more unlikely as of Tuesday.

Once the Warriors click into gear, they simply cannot be stopped. Their problems from the start of the season were mainly due to Draymond Green and Klay Thompson not playing to their full potential. Since those two have found their form, it has been a very different story.

This team is on a six-game winning streak, and I expect they will make it seven before the clash with the Clippers. The home game they had against the Pelicans was tighter than expected, but Golden State was able to prevail. And again they scored impressively, racking up 147 points.

The good news for Golden State continues with reports coming out that their summer acquisition DeMarcus Cousins is ready to get back on the court against the Clippers. Although he has not played for a year, Steve Kerr has spoken about starting him as soon as he is available.

Of course, the coaching staff will need to assess him and see how many minutes he can play. Also, it remains to be seen how he will fit in with the team.

The Warriors haven’t had a player like Cousins in the past few years. Although it may seem that starting a four-time NBA All-Star is a no brainer, I expect he will need some time to gel with his teammates and get used to the system.

Overall, after a fairly disappointing start to the season, it looks like Warriors fans are in for some exciting performances in the next games.

The Clippers started the season strongly, despite most people expecting them to tank this year. After all, they don’t have an All-Star on the roster, and the Western Conference is becoming more and more ruthless each season.

As is the case with every team that does not have an elite player, the Clippers’ success was rooted in tenacious defending. Their roster is actually packed with good defenders.

Patrick Beverley, Avery Bradley, Tobias Harris, and Luc Mbah a Moute are well suited for a defensive game among their other talents. Centers Boban Marjanovic and Marcin Gortat can also contribute.

This coupled with the high-scoring Danilo Gallinari and Lou Williams was a winning formula for the Clippers at the start. However, some injuries struck, and the team’s balance was derailed. Williams was out for a period, and the team simply couldn’t compensate the 25.4 points average he has been delivering this season.

Mbah a Moute was also hit with an injury and has only played four games this season. This is maybe the Clippers’ biggest loss so far.

The 11-year veteran is not known for his good offense but is brilliant in defense and is a natural leader. Last season, he was arguably the best Rockets defender, and his absence has already been felt there.

If everyone stays healthy, I expect they will make the playoffs. They definitely have something going, and I, for one, am excited to see them at their full strength for a long stretch.

However, until valuable pieces in the squad return, the team remains a bit vulnerable and incomplete.

They definitely won’t be going into the clash with the Warriors in the best mood. The team was outplayed by the high-flying Utah Jazz before the Golden State meeting and needs to start putting in better performances. They had no answer to Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert’s performances and were finished off by the efficient Korver and Crowder who provided the spark from the bench.

Wednesday’s games will have a very different impact on both teams. The Warriors continued their superb form and although the game with the Pels was tighter than expected, Steve Kerr’s men were able to do the job.

The Clippers’ situation is far more uncertain. Their opponents were the Jazz who are now on a 5 game winning streak. The LA outfit had the home court advantage and they could have surely put up a performance to defeat Utah, but failed and the game took a lot out of them.

Their roster is stretched at the moment. They are on a bad run and playing a high-intensity team like Utah has definitely led to some fatigue in the ranks. This will surely have an impact on how they can defend in the game against the Warriors.

Given the fact that they can be up against 5 All-Stars on the court for periods of that game, I expect the test will be too much for the Clippers on Friday.

This will be a game worth watching. The Warriors lost in overtime when they last visited the Clippers, so they will definitely be looking for revenge.

The highlight of the game will no doubt be the return of DeMarcus Cousins. It will be interesting to see whether he will have an immediate impact or will need some time to integrate into the team.

I hope the Clippers can put up a good defensive performance and not be overrun, but if the Warriors are as hot as they were against the Nuggets, it will be a nearly impossible task to stop them.