Clippers @ Boston and Houston @ Dallas Previews, Picks and Prop Bets

The Clippers will be in Boston on Thursday night in a battle of two healthy, competitive teams and Luka Doncic returns to action against the Rockets after his heroic and historic triple-double on Tuesday.  

The 21-15 Clippers visit the 25-10 Celtics tonight and both teams should be highly motivated in this one. 

The Celtics are suddenly being stalked by a Brooklyn Nets team that won their 10th straight game on Wednesday and passed the Milwaukee Bucks to move into second place in the East, just 2.0 games back of the Celtics. And with Jayson Tatum, Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo all vying for the MVP Award, the team that wins  the conference could have the inside track on getting their guy the hardware, not to mention the postseason home-court advantage that comes with it. The Celtics are 5-5 over their last 10- games with a solid win against the Bucks on Christmas and some bad losses to the Warriors, Magic and Pacers. They also lost to these Clippers in L.A. on Dec. 12. After suffering just five losses in their first 26 games, the Celtics have now lost five times in their last nine, most of which were to inferior teams. The good news is that they should be at full strength tonight, led, as usual, by Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown (the best-scoring duo in the league), Marcus Smart, Derrick White and Al Horford. 

The Clippers are currently fourth in the West and sit just 2.0 games behind the first-place Pelicans. They’re hot, winning seven of their last 10 games but most of those wins have come against inferior talent (Minnesota, Washington, Charlotte, Detroit and Toronto). Like the Celtics, they should be healthy for this one and will be led by Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Ivica Zubac, Reggie Jackson and Marcus Morris. 

The Clippers will have their hands full tonight in Boston but they’ve been playing as well as the Celtics of late and it should be fun watching Tatum and Brown going at Leonard and George tonight, and if anyone can slow Tatum down it’s Kawhi. Oddscrowd top performer Johnnyj likes the Clippers and the points and the Oddscrowd algorithm gives the Clippers a 2.2% +EV Edge to the Clippers as well. The 6.5 points are a lot to ask the Celtics to cover tonight so I’m rolling with the Oddscrowd advice and also taking the Clippers and the points. 

Pick: Clippers +6.5 

Prop 1: Jayson Tatum double-double/Boston win +230 at FanDuel

Prop 2: Derrick White to score 12+/Boston win +235 at FanDuel

Prop 3: Jaylen Brown to score 30+/Boston win +235 at FanDuel

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The 19-16 Mavericks are a massive favorite over the 10-24 Rockets and have won four straight games, including Tuesday’s impossible overtime win over the Knicks when they were down nine with 33 seconds left in the game. Luka Doncic hit an unthinkable put back off a missed free throw to send the game to OT and then won it to finish with his historic line of 60 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists - the first 60-point, 20-rebound triple-double in NBA history. Their four straight wins have come against Minnesota, Houston, the Lakers and Knicks and they didn’t win any of them by more than nine points. Dorian Finney-Smith, Josh Green and Maxi Kleber remain out with injuries tonight and Reggie Bullock is a game-time call with an illness. 

The Rockets are 1-6 over their last seven games with the lone win coming at Chicago on Monday. They also lost to these Mavs by just six points at home on Dec. 23. But outside of Tuesday’s blowout loss to Boston, they’ve generally been hanging in games and have lost by just three points (Heat), 12 points (Portland), and six points (Orlando) in three of their recent losses. Eric Gordon (groin) and Jae’Sean Tate (ankle) are game-time calls so the Rockets are relatively healthy. A starting lineup of Kevin Porter Jr., Jalen Green, Eric Gordon, Jabari Smith and Alperen Sengun should have plenty of problems to present to Luka and his band of marginal teammates (Christian Wood, Tim Hardaway, Spencer Dinwiddie and Dwight Powell). Wood could have extra motivation and a good game against his former team tonight and has been playing very well for the streaking Mavs. 

Luka needed a “recovery beer” after Tuesday’s heroics and he’s probably still tired. And Dallas simply doesn’t win in blowout fashion very often. I wouldn’t be shocked if the Mavs actually gave Luka the night off tonight, although I haven’t seen that as being an option at this point. Either way, Oddscrowd top performers Johnnyj and Opporunista like the Rockets and the points, the Oddscrowd algorithm gives the Rockets a 2.1% +EV Edge to the Rockets and I also like the Rockets and the points in this one. 

Pick: Rockets +10

Prop 1: Christian Wood to score 20+ -110 at FanDuel

Prop 2: Kevin Porter Jr. to score 20+ +145 at FanDuel

Prop 3: Tim Hardaway Jr. to score 20+ +180 at FanDuel