76ers vs Clippers Picks and Predictions: Harden Dishes Dimes All Night Long

The Philadelphia 76ers continue their Western Conference road trip as they return to Crypto.com Arena to face the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night. Philly is coming off a pair of 1-point victories against the Lakers and Jazz.

NBA odds expect another close contest with NBA betting lines opening with the Sixers as slim 1.5-point faves before flipping to favor L.A. at -1.5. Here are my free 76ers vs. Clippers NBA betting picks and predictions for January 17.

76ers vs Clippers best odds

76ers vs Clippers picks and predictions

James Harden has ignited Philadelphia's offense since recovering from a foot injury in December. Even with Tyrese Maxey back in the lineup, Harden is still the unquestioned No. 1 ball-handler and has been racking up assists.

He's coming off a 13-assist performance against the Lakers and his 11.2 assists per game would be leading the NBA if he had played in enough games to qualify. 

The O/U on Harden's assists total for today is set at 10.5. He has gone Over the number in six straight games and is averaging 12.7 apg during that stretch.

The Clippers had been solid defensively for most of the year but have struggled lately, ranking just 23rd in the league in defensive rating over their last 12 games. That span began with a 119-114 loss in Philadelphia on December 23 where Harden had a career-high 21 assists. 

My best bet: James Harden Over 10.5 assists (+100)

76ers vs Clippers spread analysis

The Clippers have won two of their last three games to snap out of a six-game losing streak. They are fresh off a 121-100 win against Houston to bounce back from a 12-point loss at home to a Nuggets side that was missing Nikola Jokic. 

Philadelphia has gone 7-2 SU and 4-5 against the spread in its last nine games. The 76ers are coming off a 113-112 road win against the Lakers just one day after edging the Jazz 118-117.

Harden and Maxey took turns being sidelined by injuries at the beginning of the season, but with both healthy, Philly has been thriving offensively and is fifth in the league in offensive rating (120 points per 100 possessions) in January.

Both Harden and Maxey are averaging more than 20 ppg but its best player is All-NBA center Joel Embiid, who is averaging 33.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. 

The Clippers know how hard it can be to keep multiple stars healthy, and they are eagerly awaiting the return of Paul George who has missed the last five games with a hamstring injury.

George has been upgraded to questionable after practicing last night, and if he suits, up he'll be an instant upgrade on both ends of the floor. In his absence, Kawhi Leonard has managed to stay healthy and is carrying the team with 29 ppg, 7.5 rpg, and 36 mpg over the last four games. 

The Clips have played just 15 games with both Leonard and George this season and have struggled to get into a rhythm on offense without a true lead guard. They are 22nd in the league in field goal percentage while ranking 21st in turnover rate.

76ers vs Clippers Over/Under analysis

Looking at the overall season stats for both teams, the Under looks like the play. After all, both teams play at a slow pace and Los Angeles ranks third in the league in scoring defense (109.9 ppg allowed) while the 76ers are fourth (110.2 ppg).

Add in the fact that the Clips are just 29th in the league in scoring (109.4 ppg) and you might think that this total of 222.5 seems a tad too high. 

Don't be so sure though, because Philly has gotten much better offensively with Harden while also having a massive decline in its performance on the other end of the floor. 

The 76ers have an offensive rating of 110.1 without Harden, but that number surges to 118.8 in the 28 games where he has suited up. Meanwhile, their defensive rating soars to 115.1 in games where Harden has played significantly worse than their defensive rating of 106.6 without him.  

76ers vs Clippers betting trend to know

The Over is 16-5 in Philadelphia's last 21 games overall. Find more NBA betting trends for 76ers vs. Clippers.

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76ers vs Clippers key injuries

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