Clippers vs. Nets: Don't Overthink This Matchup

Clippers vs. Nets Odds

Clippers Odds	-7
Nets Odds	+7
Over/Under	220
Time	7:30 p.m. ET
TV	NBA TV
Odds via FanDuel. Get up-to-the-minute NBA odds here.

The NBA media and fans were sent into a frenzy on Sunday afternoon as a blockbuster trade was reported between the Brooklyn Nets and Dallas Mavericks, sending the talented and controversial Kyrie Irving to Dallas in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, one first-round pick and two future second-round picks.

Irving requested to be traded on Friday, and the Nets didn’t waste any time taking action with the trade deadline looming on Feb. 9. The Nets host the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night in the first game of a home back-to-back. Their newcomers will not yet be in uniform, so the Nets will once again be shorthanded.

In their last game, the Nets rallied from a 23-point deficit behind Cam Thomas’s career high 44 points to beat the Wizards. They will face a tougher test against Kawhi Leonard and Paul George on Monday night.

Here’s a look at the odds, as well as our pick and prediction for Nets vs. Clippers.

The Clippers are on the final game of a six-game road trip. They’ve been in excellent form as of late, going 7-2 straight up and against the spread in their previous nine games.

With George and Leonard on the court together, it should be to no one’s surprise that the Clippers have an excellent 74-28 (72.5%) and 66-36 ATS (64.7%) regular season record, per the Sports Data Query Language at Gimme The Dog. They are 15-7 SU and 14-8 ATS this season with both stars on the court and they’ve crept up into the fourth seed of the wide-open Western Conference standings.

Teams on the sixth and final game of a road trip that are favorites against a team off a win are an incredible 24-1 and 19-5-1 ATS, per the SDQL. The fact that these teams are still favored even in such an unfavorable scheduling situation is telling.

The Nets are 28th in 3-point % allowed (37.3%) and the Clippers are seventh in percentage of points from 3-pointers. Norman Powell has really started to shine in this sixth-man role. He has scored 20-plus points in three straight games and should be poised for another big night.

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The Nets will still be without Kevin Durant, who is expected to be re-evaluated soon for a return to the court. In addition, Seth Curry is out with a groin injury and Ben Simmons is questionable.

The Nets were down by as much as 23 points against the Wizards, but rallied back and got the win. Home underdogs off a win where they were down by 20 points or greater are 2-10-1 ATS, per the SDQL. Teams in this situation are primed for a let down.

Edmond Sumner and Thomas both stepped up last game to lead that come-back win. Thomas has now scored 44, 21 and 19 in his previous three games off the bench. Since the Nets are so shorthanded, they will rely more on Thomas on Monday and he will be a popular target for points props.

Big man Nic Claxton has been another major contributor. He has taken a huge leap forward this season and has nine double-doubles in the past 11 games. He’s also averaging a ridiculous 2.6 blocks per game. The Clippers do not do much of their scoring in the paint, so he won’t be as much of a game-changer he usually is.

Clippers-Nets Pick

With Irving traded, there could be a short-term motivational boost to the Nets. The Clippers are in a tough spot on a long road trip off an overtime win. However, if George and Leonard are playing, the talent disparity between the two teams is wide.

I don’t see Thomas having a repeat performance against the Clippers stifling defense. In addition, I see a let-down spot for the Nets after a comeback win. This is also a revenge spot for the Clippers, who lost to the Nets once this season already. The Clippers have been shooting well from long distance and that is an area the Nets struggle.

I am keeping it simple and backing the Clippers in this spot.