The Brooklyn Nets and Dallas Mavericks shook up the sports world on Sunday when they agreed on a deal to send star point guard Kyrie Irving out of Brooklyn. With Durant still recovering from an MCL sprain, significant questions remain about the organization's future plans and if Durant could be the next domino to fall.
With all the talk surrounding Irving and his exit from Brooklyn, basketball still has to be played tonight as the Nets welcome the Los Angeles Clippers to the Barclays Center. The Clippers, winners of seven of their last 10, will look to capitalize on a BK team that will be devoid of a star on the court tonight.
Find out your best options with our free NBA betting picks and predictions for the Nets vs. Clippers tonight.
Clippers vs Nets best odds
Clippers vs Nets picks and predictions
The Nets have struggled to stay afloat while Durant rehabs, but they've done as good a job as expected, going 5-7 in his absence. With Irving now gone, the team may hit a full plummet in the standings, giving opportunities for role players to step up. Nic Claxton has a chance to continue building upon his impressive season.
The talented big man has struggled over his career to build out his offensive game, but it's still beginning to catch on. There was a stretch of games in January where he scored Over 20 points in five straight, including when he outplayed Joel Embiid by scoring 25 points.
This season, per 36 minutes, the 23-year-old is averaging 15.9 points per game. Spencer Dinwiddie, who is back with the Nets after the Irving deal, won't be available, leaving Claxton with more responsibilities to score the ball tonight.
The Clippers have a pair of impressive wing defenders in Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, but they won't have much effect on what Claxton can get done tonight. L.A. is fresh off letting Jalen Brunson score an outrageous 41 points, showing some vulnerability at times, and Claxton can take advantage if he stays aggressive.
Claxton has averaged 17.4 points over his last 10 games, which puts him Over his 16.5 scoring line for tonight. I believe Claxton is one of the players on the Nets who has a ton to gain from the removal of Irving from the lineup, as we will finally get a chance to see how far he can develop his offensive game. That surge starts tonight!
A final interesting thing to keep an eye on is Cam Thomas. He should be in a position to get a ton of minutes tonight after scoring 44 points against the Washington Wizards. If he can get hot, it will create easier opportunities for Claxton around the basket as Thomas can force more attention on the perimeter.
My best bet: Nic Claxton Over 16.5 points (+100)
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Clippers vs Nets spread analysis
Tonight the Clippers are a firm -8 favorite over the Nets across sportsbooks. Irving's departure has a lot to do with this significant advantage, and Los Angeles has been finding a rhythm of late.
With Irving being dealt, you have to think Brooklyn is about to go through a rough period until Durant is back in the lineup. The Clippers will present all sorts of problems for the Nets, who have a lot of players who struggle to create their own shots.
The team's leading scorers outside Kevin Durant are Nic Claxton (13) and Seth Curry (10.6). It should also be noted Curry will be out tonight with a thigh injury. These are players who are best suited to playing off the ball and having someone set up easy shots for them. That's a challenging task against a Clips team ranked Top 10 defensively (112.2) who can stunt an offense when healthy and focused.
Los Angeles enters tonight as a slightly above .500 ATS team with a 29-27 record. Although, with Leonard missing so much time early in the season due to injury, you must add its proper context.
The Nets have floated around even in this department, going 26-25-1 ATS on the season. Obviously, with Durant and Irving out, that changes everything. I don't see how they keep up tonight.
Clippers vs Nets Over/Under analysis
The Over/Under for tonight's total can be found anywhere between 220.5 and 221, with most sportsbooks leaning toward 220.5.
Since Durant's injury, these two teams have gone in opposite directions. The Clippers rank Top 2 in offensive rating (120.7), and they'll get a team that is 17th overall (114.8) in that timeframe. While Brooklyn will have a hard time slowing down L.A., this one will determine whether the Nets can muster up enough points.
Durant and Irving have accounted for 56.8 points per game when they've played this season. That is a massive amount of gap that will be nearly impossible to account for, as the roster simply doesn't have enough talented offensive players on the roster currently.
Clippers vs Nets betting trend to know
The Clippers are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games overall. Find more NBA betting trends for Clippers vs. Nets.
Clippers vs Nets game info
| Location: | Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY |
| Date: | Monday, February 6, 2023 |
| Tip-off: | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV: | NBATV |
