Atlanta Hawks -5 (-108)
The Clippers will be without three of their top players, as Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Patrick Beverly are all out of this contest. The Clippers are undoubtedly one of the best teams in the NBA, but without those players, they’re one of the worst. The three players missing tonight are the three most important players to the team in terms of efficiency. According to Cleaning The Glass, the Clippers’ efficiency differential is +22.9 with Kawhi on the court, +20.3 with Beverly, and +14.8 with George. Given those numbers, you can see how much of an impact their absence will have on both ends of the court. The Clippers will now have to rely on Luke Kennard, Reggie Jackson, and Lou Williams, who happen to be the worst defenders on the Clippers’ roster. Add that they’ll be playing three time zones away from home, and I don’t see how anyone can be confident in them.
Although questionable heading into this game, Trae Young is officially active. That means you can confidently back the Hawks against this short-handed Clippers’ team. According to NBA Advanced Stats, the Hawks have managed to stay competitive early in the season thanks to their defense, which ranks 7th in defensive rating. Although their offense is only ranked 14th in the NBA, I’m expecting them to have a field day tonight, considering the Clippers’ top three defenders are sitting this one out, giving some of the team’s worst defenders more minutes.
Back Trae Young and Co. to light up some poor defenders in what could turn into a blowout.
