The Other LA Team – Clippers at Spurs

Los Angeles Clippers (18-54 SU, 29-43 ATS) at San Antonio Spurs (47-24 SU, 35-34-2 ATS)

BetOnline NBA Betting Odds: SAN ANTONIO -11, Total 191

Here are some of the NBA pro basketball betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

* LA has last 11 of its last 14 games SU

* LA has played five of its last seven games OVER the total

* LA has covered two of its last ten road games

* LA has lost nine of its last ten road games SU

* LA has played 17 of its last 25 road games OVER the total

* SA has covered one of its last six games

* SA has played five of its last seven games UNDER the total

* SA has lost its last five home games ATS

* SA has won 19 of its last 25 home games SU

Also…

* SA has won 19 of the last 20 meetings SU

* SA has covered 15 of the last 22 meetings as the home team

* SA has won the last ten meetings SU as the home team

* Four of the last five meetings in San Antonio have gone OVER the total

* SA has had the shooting edge in each of the last four meetings

* SA has had the rebounding edge in seven of the last eight meetings

* SA has made more three-pointers in each of the last five meetings

The Clippers have had the worst shooting percentage in the NBA this season, hitting shots at a 44% rate. So it was quite unusual that they were able to hit 58% in Wednesday’s win over the Knicks. Of course, New York’s lack of defense contributed to that in a big way. Mike Taylor, a second-round pick in this past year’s NBA draft by Portland who played at Iowa State but was actually part of the D-League last year, was the guy who stood out. He pumped in 35 points, more than he had produced in his previous nine games combined. You can bet he’ll get more playing time in this game.

San Antonio has been dealing with the occasional absence of Tim Duncan, who sat out with sore knees as the team visited Atlanta. Tony Parker took matters into his own hands on Wednesday, as he scored 42 points to lead the Spurs over the Hawks, ending a nine-game Atlanta home winning streak. Duncan has basically been sitting out of the second end of back-to-back games because coach Gregg Popovich wants him to be relatively fresh for the playoffs.

The good news for San Antonio is that Duncan should be in the lineup against the Clippers, and Manu Ginobili, who had been out for 19 games, returned to the team on Wednesday and should be a little sharper this time after hitting just one of seven shots against the Hawks. The Spurs are in second place in the West, and they’[r trying to fight off the Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets and a host of others who are no more than four games behind. Not that it makes much difference, because the strength of any of the teams they’d be playing in the first round is relatively similar.

You’d think the Spurs might be looking ahead to a game with New Orleans in a couple of days, but they have not shown any evidence of overlooking the Clippers in the past, winning 19 of the last 20 meetings, and ten straight at home. We’ll lay the points with San Antonio, the 11-point favorite in the BetOnline NBA pro basketball sports betting odds.

JAY’S PLAY: SAN ANTONIO -11 **

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