Two of the hottest teams in the NBA clash in Inglewood tonight when the Houston Rockets visit the Los Angeles Clippers.
My Rockets vs. Clippers predictions expect the Clippers to win convincingly at home thanks to a strong performance from Kawhi Leonard.
Read my NBA picks to see how I’m betting the spread
Rockets vs Clippers prediction
My best bet: Clippers -7.5 (-105 at bet365)
My analysis
Over the last 15 games, the Los Angeles Clippers are 12-3, and only the Celtics and Houston Rockets have better records at 13-2. Houston has been unbelievably hot, but there’s nowhere for the team to go over the season's final three games.
Oklahoma City clinched the Western Conference weeks ago, and any of the teams below them can’t catch the Rockets in the standings. Locked in at the No. 2 seed, they have little motivation to win Wednesday’s matchup with Los Angeles.
Fred VanVleet is doubtful, while Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. are questionable. There’s no reason to play them in a meaningless matchup.
Houston may not be motivated tonight, but the Clippers certainly will be. Los Angeles has climbed to the No. 4 seed, and the team controls its playoff destiny. If L.A. wins out, it'll finish no worse than its current position and could potentially move past the Lakers for the No. 3 seed.
Kawhi Leonard sat out on Tuesday for the first leg of the Clippers’ back-to-back set, but he should return tonight. Leonard has been magnificent since returning from the All-Star break, and he’s been even better over his last 12 games.
In that 12-game span, Leonard has led the Clips to a 10-2 record while outscoring opponents by 16.3 points. The Clippers have six wins of 20 or more points in that span, and all their victories have come by at least nine points.
L.A. sports a healthy 27-13 ATS record at home, including a 19-8 mark as the home favorite. The Clippers are 12-8 ATS when favored by at least 7.5 points.
The Rockets have won all three head-to-head matchups with the Clippers this season, but I’m betting L.A. gets one back tonight.
Rockets vs Clippers same-game parlay
Clippers -7.5
Kawhi Leonard Over 32.5 points+rebounds+assists
Amen Thompson 5+ assists
Kawhi Leonard has scored at least 20 points in 12 straight games and averaged 36.7 PRA in that span. That’s a slight increase from the 34.6 PRA he’s averaged since returning from the All-Star break. Based on Leonard's recent play, this line is set far too low, and I expect him to be great again in a must-win situation.
With VanVleet expected to sit, Amen Thompson should become a facilitator. On the season, Thompson has averaged 3.2 assists per game with FVV available and 5.6 assists with him sidelined.
Sengun is questionable, which could open up even more opportunities for Thompson as a facilitator. He handed out 11 assists on February 3, a game in which VanVleet and Sengun were sidelined.
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Rockets vs Clippers odds
Rockets vs Clippers live odds
Rockets vs Clippers opening odds
- Spread: Houston +7.5 | Los Angeles -7.5
- Moneyline: Houston +240 | Los Angeles -300
- Over/Under: Over 219.5 | Under 219.5
Odds courtesy of bet365
Rockets vs Clippers spread and Over/Under analysis
- Los Angeles is 7-3 ATS across its last 10.
- The Rockets and Clippers have hit the Under in six of the last 10 head-to-head matchups.
Rockets vs Clippers trend
The Clippers sport the best net rating in the NBA (15.3) across the last 15 games. Find more NBA betting trends for Rockets vs. Clippers.
How to watch Rockets vs Clippers
| Location | Intuit Dome, Inglewood, CA |
| Date | Wednesday, 4-9-2025 |
| Tip-off | 10:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | FanDuel Sports Network - SoCal, Space City Home Network |
Rockets vs Clippers latest injuries
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