Clippers vs 76ers Picks and Predictions: Leonard Turns Back the Clock in Philly

The Philadelphia 76ers are in red-hot form at Wells Fargo Center and they put their eight-game home win streak on the line against the Los Angeles Clippers tonight.

Philadelphia has largely built that streak during its current seven-game homestand with Joel Embiid and James Harden guiding the 76ers to six straight wins — and setting up the chance to complete a perfect homestand here.

The hosts will get nothing easy against a Clippers team playing some of their best basketball of the season. They’ve won five of their last six games as Kawhi Leonard and Paul George ease their way back from injuries and the rotation finally looks more settled.

Find out more in our free Clippers vs. 76ers NBA picks and predictions ahead of tonight’s showdown.

Clippers vs 76ers best odds

Clippers vs 76ers picks and predictions

Few teams can rival the Clippers this season when it comes to injury list challenges. The treatment room has been a revolving door, leaving Ty Lue to re-jig the rotation on a game-by-game basis. Unsurprisingly, the results have been mixed.

But this team’s ceiling remains sky-high as long as Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are healthy — and a road bout against a surging 76ers team should be a good test of how the Clippers stack up among Finals contenders.

Time and again, Leonard has risen to the occasion in these types of star-studded, heavyweight clashes, and I’m expecting another clinical performance tonight, even with P.J. Tucker bringing his physical style to that defensive assignment. 

Leonard’s availability and minutes are still being handled with caution, but this is the type of game where the Clippers need his top gear on both ends of the court. He showed he can still dominate last weekend, serving up a 31-point night against the Washington Wizards on 12-of-26 shooting. 

The two-time Finals MVP has put up somewhat pedestrian numbers at times by his high standards (which is why this prop line has fallen this low), but I expect an uptick in field goal attempts here given the magnitude of the matchup. I like Leonard to be aggressive looking for his shot early, and these odds are attractive for a 20-point night.

My best bet: Kawhi Leonard Over 19.5 points (+100)

Clippers vs 76ers spread analysis

It’s no shock that the 76ers are 3.5-point favorites on the back of such dominant recent home performances. Philadelphia is 5-1 ATS in its last six overall and 13-3 ATS in its last 16 games at Wells Fargo Center.

Embiid cooled off slightly in the past two wins, but he began the month with more than 30 points in six straight games. If he gets Ivica Zubac in foul trouble tonight, the Clippers are short on backup options at center.

Still, the visitors have the tools to keep this one close. The Clippers have won nine of the last 10 games in which Leonard has played, and they’ve covered the spread in their last four games after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.

While Embiid is a matchup nightmare, Los Angeles should be able to limit Harden’s impact with Leonard and George to throw at him on the perimeter, especially in crunch time.

Clippers vs 76ers Over/Under analysis

Despite the offensive talent on show, this could end up as more of a defensive battle, with Embiid protecting the paint at one end and the Clippers’ swarming wings creating turnovers at the other. 

While the Over has hit in the Clippers’ last four road games against a team with a home winning record of greater than .600, the 76ers’ offense has slowed down a little this week, with 104 points in the overtime win against the Raptors on Monday and 113 points in the victory over the Pistons in midweek. The ongoing absence of Tyrese Maxey as an explosive third option for Philadelphia could be starting to take a toll.

If you’re taking the Over, bench scoring should be on your side. It’s been a plus for the Clippers, with Nic Batum, Norman Powell, and Luke Kennard combining for 47 points against the Hornets on Wednesday. For all the injury disruption, Lue can call on an experienced second unit packed with switchable wings — and the visitors will expect to win the bench minutes.

Clippers vs 76ers betting trend to know

The Over has hit in the Clippers’ last four road games against a team with a winning home record and in their last seven road games overall. Find more NBA betting trends for Clippers vs. 76ers.

Clippers vs 76ers game info

Clippers vs 76ers key injuries

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