Los Angeles Clippers – Toronto Raptors / NBA – The Clippers and the Raptors have not met this season, so this duel in Los Angeles is the first of two scheduled in the regular season. The Clippers are in a good mood before the match because they celebrated home against the Wizards and ended their series of four defeats. Toronto Raptors have a much better form of play and will be favorites at the Staples Center.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers celebrated a home win against the Wizards in the final match, largely thanks to Williams, who scored three out of a total of 35 points 1.2 seconds before the final whistle. The recovered Gallinari also shone with 25 points and so the Clippers could end their negative series of four defeats and improve the result balance a little (9-15). At home you have recorded 5 wins and 7 losses, but considering that some key players are injured, you also see the main reason for their current situation. Griffin and Beverly are missing, while Gallinari has just returned. Soon, Teodosic will return.
The Clippers need a real Playmaker and the return of Teodosic would mean more assists. Currently they are among the worst teams in the league in this area and they were among the best in the past. The best way to say that the injuries had a negative impact on the team is that not a single player (out of a total of 16) has taken part in all the matches in the current season. Nothing is lost yet, as the season is still long, but it depends a lot on Griffin’s recovery, because they can hardly make it to the playoffs without him in the team.
Toronto Raptors
Many see the Raptors in this duel in LA at an advantage, especially since they are currently in a much better form than their current host. Statistically, the Clippers are better only in the rebound area. In addition, the Raptors have recorded almost twice as many victories as the Clippers and these are all the reasons why they are the favorites. Toronto is second in its division, just behind Boston, and DeRozen-Lowry has played the leading role in the team for years.
The Raptors have a great team game and also show a very fast and efficient basketball. They have the league’s third-best attack and rank fourth in the assists’ field. Only in the area of rebounds they do not shine, but that’s been the case for a few seasons. They are calm in their game, even if they are behind with a big difference in points, as they did against Memphis the other day when they were -17. In addition, the Starting Five gets great support from the Reserve Bank.
Los Angeles Clippers – Toronto Raptors TIP
For Toronto, this is the third of four away games in a row, while the Clippers make their third home game in a row. As already mentioned, a lot of things speak for the guests, which is why they have the role of favorites in this duel. Of course, they must not forget that the Clippers celebrated in the last match against the Wizards, which also had a favorite role.
Our Prediction: Los Angeles Clippers – Toronto Raptors win @ 1.98
