Golden State Warriors vs LA Clippers Prediction and Betting Tips | Dec. 27, 2024

The smarting and Steph Curry-less Golden State Warriors head to Inglewood desperately in need of course correction. Their bigger challenge is to do it without their superstar suiting up and against a stern LA Clippers outfit at the Intuit Dome on Friday. The Christmas Day clash against the LA Lakers was a humdinger, and a heartbreaker for the Warriors as they went down 115-113 courtesy of Austin Reaves' brilliance in the final seconds of the showdown.

The loss also highlighted the Warriors' glaring weaknesses — the overreliance on Curry, and the lack of solid firepower alongside him. Dennis Schroder's teething process is yet to be completed but overall isn't the candidate to catapult the side to title contention.

The lack of ammunition on both ends of the floor has cost Golden State winnable games. The Lakers made mistakes, and without their dominant presence in Anthony Davis, gave enough for the Warriors to churn out a win, but it wasn't meant to be. They struggled to make defensive stops, missed out on the extra breaks, and clattered a few shots that could have put them ahead.

There was a time when the Warriors took the top spot in the West, making way for discussions about effectively managing Curry and Draymond Green's workload throughout the season. That advantage is far gone as they are 15-14 and placed tenth in a stacked Conference. To add, their schedule gets tougher as they play the Phoenix Suns next as part of the back-to-back and the Cleveland Cavaliers in their next two contests.

The Clippers head to the contest on the back of a close 114-110 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. They have had a mixed run winning five of their last 10 games. However, they boast of a better record at home (10-6). Their best basketball was in November with a five-game winning streak. LA, despite their erratic outings, have still managed to hang onto the seventh seed with a 17-13 record.

Both teams met twice this season with LA taking both the contests. They won 112-104 in their first matchup of the season and followed it up with a 102-99 win. They meet two more times in the regular season.

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Golden State Warriors vs LA Clippers Preview, Predicted Starting Lineups, Betting Tips, Odds, and Prediction

The Golden State Warriors vs LA Clippers tips off at 10 pm ET. Local coverage will be on NBA TV, NBCS-BA, and FDSSC. The game can be streamed live on Fubo TV (regional restrictions may apply) and on the NBA app with a subscription to the NBA League Pass.

Here are the odds as listed at the time of writing:

Teams	Spread	Total (o/u)	Moneyline
Golden State Warriors	+4.5	o213.5 (-110)	+153
LA Clippers	-4.5	u213.5 (-112)	-185

Note: Odds are subject to change closer to tip-off.

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Golden State Warriors vs LA Clippers Preview

The Warriors had one of the best defensive rankings at the start of the season. Their recent stretch of losses has seen them dip to 11th on scoring defense averaging 110.0 points per game. They allow their opponents to score 107.7 points in 100 possessions. They are fourth in league FG% defense (44.9) and seventh in 3-point defense (34.9).

Defense is still their best bet if they intend to win this contest. They are 14th in scoring offense averaging 112.8 PPG and notching up 110.0 points per 100 possessions. The Warriors are 24th in FG% offense nailing 45% of their shots and 11th in 3-point attack with 37.2%

LA is 22nd in the NBA in scoring offense, averaging 109.6 points per game and propping up 108.5 points per 100 possessions. They are shooting 46.6% from the field (13th) and are ninth in 3-point offense sinking 37.3% from beyond the arc. The focus will be to up the ante on offense. Their defense has been their strength, allowing opponents to score just 106.8 points per 100 possessions. They can capitalize with Curry not suiting up.

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Golden State Warriors vs LA Clippers Predicted Starting Lineups

The Golden State Warriors will be without Steph Curry (bilateral ankle injury) and Gary Payton II (left calf strain). Draymond Green (lower back contusion) is listed as questionable. This will likely see Brandin Podziemski replace the 4x NBA champion in the starting lineup.

Position	Player
PG	Brandin Podziemski
SG	Dennis Schroder
SF	Andrew Wiggins
PF	Draymond Green
C	Trayce Jackson-Davis

The Clippers will miss the services of Kawhi Leonard (knee injury recovery), Kobe Brown (back injury management), Terance Mann (finger fracture), and PJ Tucker (not with the team). Expect them to field the same starters from their last game against the Grizzlies.

Position	Player
PG	James Harden
SG	Kris Dunn
SF	Norman Powell
PF	Derrick Jones
C	Ivica Zubac

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Golden State Warriors vs LA Clippers Betting Tips

Dennis Schroder comes in with an o/u of -104/-106 on points. Buddy Hield is -103/-122 on points, and Draymond Green is -133/-103 on points + rebounds. For the Clippers, Kris Dunn is -102/-125 on points. Ivica Zubac is -108/-114 on points and boards, and James Harden is -106/-109 on points and assists.

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Golden State Warriors vs LA Clippers Prediction

The LA Clippers have bested the Golden State Warriors in their last two matchups, and without Steph Curry, the hosts are favorites to prop up their third win against the Bay Area side. Better consistency sees the Clippers inch ahead in this contest and will take the win on Friday in a tight-knit contest.