Sunday afternoon’s matchup between the Clippers (49-32) and the Warriors (48-33) is not the only one across the league that will feel like a playoff matchup.
This one, however, arguably has the most at stake of any of the 15 NBA games taking place today as the regular season wraps up.
The Clippers could finish as high as fourth in the West if they win and Denver loses to the Rockets, but a loss likely would result in the Clips starting the postseason with a play-in matchup.
The Warriors can’t finish worse than seventh in the Western Conference, even if they lose this game, but they need a win to finish sixth (and safe from play-in action). A top-four finish in the standings guarantees homecourt advantage in the first-round, while a top-six finish means getting to avoid the play-in round.
The Clippers all won all three previous meetings between these teams this year, but those victories came against the Jimmy Butler-less version of the Warriors.
Clippers vs. Warriors Odds: Spread, ML, Total
| DK | FD | bet365 | |
| LAC spread | +3.5 (-110) | +4 (-115) | +3.5 (-110) |
| GSW spread | -3.5 (-110) | -4 (-105) | -3.5 (-110) |
| LAC ML | +140 | +144 | +135 |
| GSW ML | -166 | -174 | -160 |
| Total | 219.5 (o-110; u-110) | 219.5 (o-110; u-110) | 220 (o-110; u-110) |
How to Watch Clippers vs. Warriors
- Tipoff: 3:30 p.m. ET
- Channel: ESPN
Best Clippers vs. Warriors Player Prop Bets
J. Butler over 28.5 pts + rebs + asts (-115 at FanDuel) — 1 unit
We haven’t quite reached the postseason yet, but we’ve seen recent several appearances from Playoff Jimmy. If that’s the version of Jimmy Butler who shows up for Golden State today, he should be able to pile up 30 PRA (points + rebounds + assists) without too much difficulty.
Butler went well over this line in his last two games, with 36 PRA vs. Portland on Friday night and 39 PRA in Wednesday’s stunning loss to San Antonio.
Points might be harder to come by today, especially if he’s matched up with Kawhi Leonard. But even in the worst-case scenario (for his scoring) of Leonard guarding him, I still expect Butler to rack up plenty of assists and rebounds.
I also expect him to be more aggressive than usual when it comes to looking for his own offense. In 29 games as a Warrior, Butler has averaged 10.8 field-goal attempts per game.
But his usage rate has been over 20 percent in seven of Golden State’s last 14 games, and if Stephen Curry — who is listed as questionable (thumb) — is limited or unavailable, this feels like a lock.
Butler unsurprisingly put up big numbers in all seven of those games where his usage rate exceded 20 percent, as you can see below:
- vs. Portland (April 11) — Usage rate: 23; PRA: 36
- vs. Denver (April 4) — Usage rate: 21.2; PRA: 27
- vs. New Orleans (March 28) — Usage rate: 21.6; PRA: 32
- vs. Atlanta* (March 22) — Usage rate: 26.9; PRA: 37
- vs. Toronto (March 20) — Usage rate: 24.4; PRA: 39
- vs. Milwaukee* (March 18) — Usage rate: 27.6; PRA: 42
- vs. Denver (March 17) — Usage rate: 27.8; PRA: 37
So, if you’re confident the Warriors offense will run through Butler a little more than usual this afternoon, he’s also worth a sprinkle to accumulate 35+ PRA (+245 at DK) — 0.25 units.
*Curry was out vs. the Hawks and the Bucks
Clippers vs. Warriors Prediction, Best Bets
No team in the entire league has finished the regular season stronger than the Clippers, who have won nine of their last 10 games and 17 of their last 20.
It’s hard to bet against the veteran Warriors in a crucial game at home, but it’s hard to see them winning this comfortably given how well Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers have been playing in recent weeks.
Leonard is coming off an impressive stretch that won him Western Conference Player of the Week for March 31-April 6, and I like his chances of keeping this close enough for the Clippers to at least cover.
Keep in mind that L.A.’s only two losses since a headscratching defeat against the Pelicans on March 11 were a 103-101 L vs. OKC on March 23 and a 127-122 loss to Cleveland on March 30.
Clippers vs. Warriors Best Bets:
- Clippers +4 (-115 at FanDuel) — 1 units
- Clippers ML (+144 at FD) — 0.5 units
- Under 220 (-110 at bet365) — 0.5 units
Newsweek may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up through the links in this article. See the sportsbook operator’s terms and conditions for important details. Sports betting operators have no influence over newsroom coverage.