Denver
+3½, o/u 192
at Clippers, 10:30 p.m. Eastern, TNT
by Ultimatecapper.com Staff
The Los Angeles Clippers look to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round NBA playoff series with the Denver Nuggets when the two teams collide Monday night at the Staples Center in L.A.
The Clippers beat the Nuggets 89-87 as four-point favorites in the series opener Saturday night, their first playoff victory in 13 seasons. L.A. led by 16 points in the 3rd quarter and by 10 with four minutes to go. But Denver rallied to tie it at 87 apiece before a couple of Clipper free-throws won it.
The Nuggets lost despite outrebounding the Clippers by seven and forcing 15 L.A. turnovers, while committing only seven. But Denver hit on just 35 of 91 FG attempts.
Game 1 went under the posted total of 195 by 18 points.
During the regular season, the Clippers went 42-38 against the spread, 27-14 straight up at home, 20-20 against the spread at the Staples Center, and 28-22 ats as chalk.
The over/under went 36-43 in Clippers games this season, 15-25 in games at the Staples Center.
Denver this season went 40-42 against the spread, 18-23 straight up on the road, 20-21 ats in away games and 19-20 ats as underdogs.
The over went 42-40 in Nuggets games this regular season, 17-23 in Nuggets road games.
Neither team entered the playoffs on a roll. Denver lost its last four regular season games, while the Clippers lost five of their last eight.
Los Angeles shot 47% from the floor this season, 6th-best in the league, 35% from 3-point range and 79%, 2nd-best in the league, from the free-throw line.
Denver shot 46% from the field this season, 8th-best in the league, just 33% from long range, dead last in the league, and 75% from the line.
The Clippers are one of the better rebounding teams in the league, outrebounding opponents by an average of 2.9 per game this season. The Nuggets get outrebounded by .7 per game on the season.
This difference was clearly evident in the four games the two teams played against each other during the regular season. The Clippers won three of four in the series this season, and outrebounded the Nuggets each time, by margins of seven, 15, 13 and five.
The Ultimatecapper Pick: Tough game. We're passing.
