NBA Odds, Picks & Predictions: Wednesday (4/15)
The Play-In Tournament rolls on, as the Los Angeles Clippers battle the Golden State Warriors and the Orlando Magic face the Philadelphia 76ers. Below, I explain why I expect the Clippers to struggle offensively, then I highlight two bets with odds of +100 or better. Here are the best bets and NBA picks for Wednesday, April 15th.
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NBA Picks & Predictions: Wednesday (4/15)
Los Angeles Clippers Under 113.5 Points (-110)
The Clippers have scored at least 114 points in back-to-back games, but they haven't scored more than 115 against Golden State this season. Additionally, in the first two meetings between these two teams, the Clippers combined for just 182 points.
The Clippers enter this game scoring 116 or fewer in six of their last seven games. The only time they scored more than 116 was against the Sacramento Kings, who finished the year ranked 27th in scoring defense. The Warriors rank 14th.
And while the Warriors allowed more than 115 points per game during the regular season, the Clippers have been one of the worst offensive teams all year. They averaged just 113.8 points per game this year, ranking 24th in the league and 19th out of the 20 teams that qualified for the postseason.
Orlando Magic (+110)
The 76ers won the season series 2-1, but these teams haven't met since early January. They finished with the same record, and while the 76ers are the home team for this contest, the Magic are the hotter team entering the postseason.
The Magic lost by five to the Boston Celtics to end the regular season, but they won five consecutive games before that contest. Meanwhile, the 76ers enter the postseason on a two-game winning streak, but both of those victories came over teams that missed the playoffs. They've lost three of their last five, with all three losses coming by double-digits to playoff teams.
But the real difference in this game will be the 3-point line. The 76ers aren't a great 3-point shooting team, averaging just 11.8 makes per game. Things won't get any easier for them tonight against a Magic defense that allowed just 12.1 3-pointers per game during the regular season, tied for the fewest in the league.
Golden State Warriors 18+ 3-Pointers (+200)
For my last bet, I'm taking a bit of a chance on a prop with odds of +200. The Warriors finished the regular season averaging 15.7 made 3-pointers per game, the second-most in the league. No team attempted more shots from beyond the arc than them, as they averaged 44.1 per contest.
Despite shooting just 35.6 percent from deep, this is actually a solid matchup for the Warriors, as the Clippers rank 22nd in 3-point percentage allowed. And while the Warriors made only 11 3-pointers the last time these two teams met, they made 17 in early March in a game in which they scored only 101 points.
The Warriors haven't made 18 3-pointers against the Clippers this season, but they've reached 17 twice. And with 49.6% of their field goal attempts from beyond the 3-point line, they're going to give themselves plenty of chances to hit this total tonight.
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Phil Wood is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Phil, check out his archive and follow him @Phil_Wood_Jr.