Clippers vs Bulls Picks and Predictions: Kawhi Keeps Rolling in Chi-Town

The Los Angeles Clippers will try to start a new winning streak when they visit the Chicago Bulls on Monday night.

The Clippers (28-25) had won five straight before losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers 122-99 on Sunday. They played that game without stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, both of whom should be back in the lineup against the Bulls (23-26). 

Having a healthy lineup should give Los Angeles a boost as it continues its six-game road trip. We’ll break down how that will impact tonight’s contest in our NBA picks and predictions for Clippers vs. Bulls below.

Clippers vs Bulls best odds

Clippers vs Bulls picks and predictions

Have no fear about the health of the Los Angeles Clippers stars. L.A. chose to sit Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in the second game of a back-to-back for injury management issues.

While George has had some knee problems, he’s generally looking good to go. Meanwhile, the Clippers are being cautious with Leonard as he continues his return from a torn ACL suffered two years ago.

Leonard isn’t suffering any ill effects from that injury this season. The 31-year-old is averaging 21.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game while shooting an excellent 51.4% from the field. And while his numbers may not be in line with some of his vintage years, Leonard has turned it on as of late.

In 11 games in January, Leonard is averaging 27.2 points per game. Throw out the first game of the month, when he played just 18 minutes against the Denver Nuggets, and his average increases to 29.3 points a night. Kawhi is back, and he’s scoring against everything opposing defenses have tried to throw at him this month.

Not only that, but Leonard has been incredibly efficient. He has shot at least 50% from the field in each of his last 10 games. In eight of those contests, he has scored at least 27 points, despite never playing more than 39 minutes in a single game. 

This run shouldn’t stop anytime soon, as a healthy Leonard presents matchup problems for any team the Clippers face. The Bulls aren’t exactly a lockdown defense to begin with, either, giving up 114.5 points per game to opponents this season.

Chicago has allowed its last 37 opponents — no, that’s not a typo — to score at least 100 points, so this won’t be a situation where Leonard’s numbers are held down by a low-scoring slog of a game. 

NBA odds have started to adjust to Leonard’s scoring output, but I don’t think they’ve fully recognized what he’s doing just yet. We can get Leonard at Over 26.5 points tonight with very little juice by shopping around, and that’s a number that’s just too low to ignore given the run he’s on.

Rather than being worried about him missing Sunday’s game, we should look at that as one more reason to back Leonard tonight. He’ll be rested and fully healthy while facing a team that always gives up points.

With plenty of opportunities to score and two full days off since he last took the court, my pick tonight is for Leonard to hit his points prop. 

My best bet: Kawhi Leonard Over 26.5 points (-105)

Clippers vs Bulls spread analysis

The Clippers opened tonight’s game as a 2.5-point favorite. Most books have pushed that just a bit higher, and the most common spread is now Los Angeles -3, though you can still find 2.5 out there if you want to bet on the Clippers.

Until the loss at Cleveland on Sunday, the Clippers had been playing quite well, winning their previous five. Over that stretch, they also covered four times, with three of those covers coming by double digits. We can discount Sunday’s result a bit because of the absence of Leonard and George as well.

The Bulls continue to be up and down, though they’ve won four of their last six. Chicago has covered in all of its wins, but failed to cover in either of its losses, as it was favored against both the Hornets and Pacers. 

A quick look at the records suggests that the Clippers are the better team, but the numbers don’t really back that up. Both of these teams are playing to a dead-even 0.0-point differential on the year, the mark of squads that are squarely average.

We can give Los Angeles a little extra credit for being a better team when George and Leonard are playing, but we also have to acknowledge that the Bulls are playing at home.

I think the Clippers are a bit overvalued in this matchup because of their star power and the recent winning streak. This one could go either way in Chicago, and when that’s the case, I’m always happy to take a few points. Let’s back the Bulls at +3. 

Clippers vs Bulls Over/Under analysis

Sportsbooks opened tonight’s total at 230.5, but that number has come rocketing down. As of noon on Tuesday, the consensus Over/Under is just 226 points.

The fact that the Clippers will have Leonard and George back might actually be playing a part in that. While both stars can score, they’re also key parts of a defense that ranks third in the league, allowing just 110.7 points per game.

Los Angeles doesn’t look quite as good when it comes to defensive efficiency but still ranks a solid 12th in the NBA, giving up just under 1.1 points per possession.

The Bulls don’t play that same defensive style of basketball. Both their offense and their defense rate as about league-average, though as I mentioned above, they’ve been on a long streak where they’ve failed to shut anyone down. 

That said, Chicago isn’t the kind of team that’s going to force the Clippers to run the court and get dragged into a shootout. The 230.5 number was way too high, and if you hammered the Under at that point, congratulations on making a great bet.

Even at 226, I’m leaning towards the Under, though we’re getting very close to a reasonable number. If the total drops any further, it may be time to lay off this market.

Clippers vs Bulls betting trend to know

Kawhi Leonard has scored at least 27 points in six of his last seven games. Find more NBA betting trends for Clippers vs. Bulls.

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