4-20-25 SCP 1-0 Saturday 3* CLIPPERS COVER In OT! (Plus 3 Units)
The LA Clippers gave one away on Saturday as they lost 112-110 to the Denver Nuggets due to an uncharacteristic 20 Turnovers and their inability to get a Defensive Rebound in the last 2 minutes. Somehow the Nuggets were able to corral 5 Offensive Rebounds late to keep possessions alive which ultimately led to their victory. But even with all that, the Clippers had a 96-95 lead, and the ball, with 33 seconds left when the usually sure handed Kawhi Leonard got sloppy and allowed a Denver defender to slap the ball off his hands 30 feet from the basket for a crucial turnover. Up until the last 2 minutes of regulation the Clippers played well with the big 3 of Harden (32), Leonard and Zubac all scoring 20+, but you have to FINISH on the Road in the Playoffs and taking care of the basketball is at the top of the list. But of course the important thing is that our 3* VERY STRONG play on the CLIPPERS DID COVER when Norman Powell hit a meaningless (well not meaningless for everyone) 3 at the buzzer to make it a 2 point final. We will not apologize for that as we view it as PAYBACK for the 5 TIMES the same situation went Against Us in the NCAA tournament. In our view the “Gambling Gods” still owe us 4 more! We will likely look to come right back on the Clippers in Game 2 on Monday as it is unlikely they will turn the ball over 20 times in back to back games. Adding 3 Units brings our 54 day record to 86-62 for PLUS 85.4 UNITS.
3* VERY STRONG – (NBA) Clippers +2.5 (110-112) WIN
3* VERY STRONG – (NBA) Clippers +2.5: This afternoon the Denver Nuggets host the LA Clippers in the first game of an opening round series. The Series Price for this matchup has gone into Free Fall as it opened as high as Denver -160 offshore, and has fallen all the way down to the Clippers being a short favorite. There are valid reasons for this, which is why we released a 2* STRONG play on the Clippers -115 for the SERIES several days ago. The Clippers were a top 3 team in the NBA over the final 6 weeks of the season, while the Nuggets’ DEFENSE collapsed and they fired their coach. The Clippers are finally fully healthy, with playoffs legend and star Kawhi Leonard fully participating for the first time since 2020, and they are primed to make a serious run. With Harden and Zubac playing very well down the stretch, and solid help from the bench, the Clips are too deep and too balanced for the Nuggets who will essentially play their starters the entire game. LA also has the size to bother Joker, or at least somewhat contain him, which will force others to step up versus an ELITE DEFENSE. Denver dropped 3 of 4 at home in the playoffs last year and went just 3-13 ATS at HOME versus non-play-in playoff qualifiers. The Nuggets are also just 2-12 ATS in their last 14 at home. The Clippers are rated No 1 in OFFENSE and No 3 in DEFENSE over their last 15 games while Denver is rated 17th and 19th respectively. Finally, LA is 18-3 Straight Up in the last 21 contests. The Nuggets have no real advantages in this matchup and we look for the Clips to steal Game 1 on the road.