Paul George and the Los Angeles Clippers host Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics on Wednesday, and tipoff from the Staples Center is set for 10 p.m. ET. At 11-2, the Celtics boast the best record in the Eastern Conference and a win on Wednesday would give them the best record in the entire NBA. The Clippers haven't found quite as much early season success as Boston, but they also have yet to play a game at full strength. Kawhi Leonard (knee) has missed the past three games for the Clippers but is listed as questionable for Wednesday's contest. If he plays, it will be the first game that Leonard and George are able to suit up together. Sportsbooks list the Clippers as 7.5-point home favorites, up 1.5 from the opener, while the over-under for total points is 217.5 in the latest Clippers vs. Celtics odds. Before you make any Celtics vs. Clippers picks and NBA predictions, you'll want to see what SportsLine's advanced computer model has to say.
This model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, and anyone who followed it last season saw massive returns, finishing 300-252 on all its top-rated NBA picks. On top-rated NBA picks against the spread and on the money line alone, the model returned a whopping $4,280 last season. It's off to a profitable start on all-top rated picks again this season, and enters Week 5 of the 2019-20 NBA season on a 9-4 run on all top-rated NBA spread picks. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns and consistently beaten NBA odds.
Now, the model has set its sights on Celtics vs. Clippers. We can tell you that the model is leaning under, and it's also generated an against the spread pick that is hitting in well over 50 percent of simulations. You should head to SportsLine to see it. Now, here are several NBA betting lines for Celtics vs. Clippers:
- Clippers vs. Celtics spread: Los Angeles -7.5
- Clippers vs. Celtics over-under: 217.5 points
- Clippers vs. Celtics money line: Los Angeles -300, Boston +240
- BOS: One of four teams to rank top-10 in offensive and defensive efficiency
- LAC: Paul George is averaging 29 points
The model is well aware of what an impact the return of Paul George has on the Clippers. Per CleaningTheGlass, no Clipper has had more of a positive effect on a per-possession basis than George. The team has been 16.9 points better per 100 possessions with George on the court, which is one of the highest marks in the NBA. Leonard ranks second, with an 89th percentile mark at plus-13.4 points per 100 possessions. The Clippers have already been one of the NBA's best teams, even while playing without George and Leonard for several games.
If Leonard suits up on Wednesday, the Clippers trio of Patrick Beverley, Leonard, and George would match up nearly perfectly against Boston's main source of offense: Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown, and Jayson Tatum.
But just because the Clippers have been dominant at home doesn't mean they will cover the Clippers vs. Celtics spread on Wednesday.
The model has also taken into account that not only have the Celtics been better than the Clippers on paper to start the year, they've also been one of the best teams in the entire NBA. They rank eighth in defensive efficiency, compared to the Clippers, who are 10th. Boston (fifth) also is ahead of Los Angeles (11th) in offensive efficiency, while ranking third in the NBA in point differential.
Boston has won six of its past seven road games and 11 of its past 12 games overall. The excellent play of Jaylen Brown has provided the spark plug for Boston's recent run, as he looks like an early Most Improved Player frontrunner. Over the past two weeks, Brown is averaging 22 points, eight rebounds, and three assists, while shooting a sizzling 48 percent from beyond the arc.
So who wins Celtics vs. Clippers? And which side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the Celtics vs. Clippers spread you need to jump on Wednesday, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.
