Los Angeles Clippers vs. Washington Wizards Predictions

Despite their mini resurgence, the Wizards find themselves once again on a two-game losing streak as they face very difficult opponents. The Clippers are third in the West and were able to defeat this Wizards squad 135-116 on the February 24th. Paul George and Kawhi Leonard combined for 62 points in that game and could prove equally difficult to stop for the Wizards this time as Washington lacks quality defenders on the wing. Rui Hachimura is the only standout defender at that position, but he cannot lock down both of the Clippers stars at once. Leonard missed their last game against the Celtics, but he was a late scratch, which hopefully means that was more of a precaution and that he will be available for tonight’s game.

The Clippers are a much deeper team than the Wizards which was a major factor in the first meeting and will likely be again tonight. They had four players reach double-digit scoring off the bench despite Lou Williams being rested. Raul Neto was the only Wizard to reach double figures with 11 points, and if that is the case again, the scoring burden will be too heavy on Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook to make up for their bench’s deficiencies. With the Clippers being the sixth-best defensive team in the league and possessing defenders such as Patrick Beverley, scoring will not come easy to them. If Leonard plays, the Clippers should be able to secure another double-digit win. Back them to cover the spread.

The first meeting between these clubs comfortably cleared this number and tonight should be no different. That is thanks to the fact that the Wizards play at the fastest pace in the league which often gets them involved in high-scoring scraps. Four of their last six games have gone over this total, and with the way Bradley Beal has been scoring, that should be the case again. The Clippers are in the top ten in the league over their last ten games in three-pointers made, and that should help them inflate their numbers tonight. Over that same stretch the Wizards are ranked 28th in opponent points off turnovers, and with George, Leonard and Beverley being terrific defenders, look for them to be able to generate additional scores that way too. In what is set to be a fast-paced game, back the over.