Portland Trail Blazers vs La Clippers Picks and Predictions January 16th 2025

Portland Trail Blazers vs LA Clippers January 16th 2025

At 10:00 ET, the Clippers (-250) will travel to Portland to take on the Trail Blazers (+206). Los Angeles is favored by 6.5 and has won two straight games. Portland is currently on a three-game losing streak and is 13th in the Western Conference.

This Western Conference matchup can be seen on KATU and will be played at the Moda Center.

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Clippers vs. Trail Blazers Key Information

The Clippers improved to 22-17 on the season with a dominant 126-67 win over the Nets on Wednesday. Playing at home, they were favored by -15.5 points and easily covered the spread. The total points for the game were 193, falling well short of the 212-point O/U line.

After a 21-21 tie in the 1st quarter, the Clippers took control by outscoring the Nets 37-14 in the 2nd quarter and 44-16 in the 3rd. A key 23-0 run extended their lead from 53-35 to 76-35. They closed out the game by holding the Nets to 16 points in the 4th quarter while adding 24 points of their own.

Kawhi Leonard’s 23 points on 72.7% shooting led the Clippers to a 126-point performance in their win over the Nets, with James Harden adding 21 points and 11 assists, hitting 3 threes at 60% efficiency. Norman Powell also connected on 3 threes, shooting 75% from deep and finishing with 18 points.

As a team, the Clippers shot 54.4% from the field and 37.5% from three, making 12 threes in the game. Leonard scored 11 points in the 3rd quarter, while Harden also added 11 points in the opening period.

The Clippers’ defense was dominant in their 126-67 win over the Nets, allowing just 67 points. They gave up 21 points in the 1st quarter, but tightened up even more in the 2nd, allowing only 14. The 3rd and 4th quarters were equally impressive, with the Clippers giving up just 16 points in each.

Overall, the Clippers held the Nets to 30% shooting, including just 17% from three-point range, where the Nets made only 5 threes. The Clippers also sent the Nets to the free-throw line 22 times, where they made 12 shots. Defensively, the Clippers grabbed 40 rebounds, allowed 15 offensive boards, and recorded 13 steals and 3 blocks.

Portland’s season continued to slide on Tuesday, as they dropped to 13-26 with a 132-114 home loss to the Nets. The Blazers, who were favored by 3.5 points, not only lost but failed to cover the spread. The game’s total points of 246.5 exceeded the O/U line of 219.5 by 26.5 points.

Brooklyn’s 13-0 run early on shifted momentum, taking the score from 36-30 to 43-36. Portland fought back in the 2nd quarter, outscoring the Nets 31-26, but couldn’t sustain it. After falling behind 98-88 going into the 4th, the Blazers were outscored 34-26 in the final period.

Scoot Henderson’s 39-point performance, including 8 threes at an 80% clip, was a highlight for the Trail Blazers in their 132-114 loss to the Nets. Portland hit 17 threes as a team, shooting 44.7% from beyond the arc.

Toumani Camara added 23 points, with 13 coming in the 2nd quarter, while Shaedon Sharpe contributed 21 points. Henderson scored 17 points in the 1st quarter alone.

The Trail Blazers struggled defensively against the Nets, allowing 132 points on 54% shooting. Portland gave up 40 points in the 1st quarter and 34 in the 4th, despite holding Brooklyn to 26 points in the 2nd.

Portland also allowed 19 threes on 46% shooting. The Nets went 15/18 from the line. The Blazers had 25 defensive rebounds, gave up 10 offensive boards, and recorded 8 steals and 3 blocks.

The Clippers is our pick to not only win with a projected score of 132-125. But we also favor them to cover the spread. Our bet is on the Clippers at -6.5.

Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 220.5, and our model predicts the Clippers and Trail Blazers to score a combined 257 points. We recommend betting on the over.

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Red-Hot Clippers Aim to Stay Dominant Against Struggling Blazers

Fresh off one of the most lopsided victories in franchise history, the Los Angeles Clippers look to keep rolling when they visit the struggling Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night.

Clippers Set Records in Historic Blowout

The Clippers (29-14) made history Wednesday night, demolishing the Brooklyn Nets 126-67 in Inglewood, Calif. The 59-point margin of victory was the largest by any team this season and set a new Clippers franchise record, surpassing a 50-point win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2022.

Los Angeles took control after the first quarter, outscoring Brooklyn 37-14 in the second and 44-16 in the third. With the game well in hand, coach Tyronn Lue was able to rest his starters, none of whom played more than 24 minutes.

“We had to have a professional mindset coming out in that third quarter. And we did that,” Lue said. “Our guys were able to get some rest going into a back-to-back.”

James Harden had a milestone night, passing Dominique Wilkins for 15th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list with 21 points and 11 assists. Kawhi Leonard, continuing to work his way back to full strength, posted a season-high 23 points.

“He was really good,” Lue said of Leonard. “His pace, his force, how he got to his spots, I thought was really good. Just keep stacking these days of feeling good, of trusting it, believing in it.”

Portland’s Defensive Woes Continue

The Blazers (13-29) enter Thursday’s game on a different trajectory, having lost 132-114 to the same Brooklyn team that the Clippers dismantled. Portland never led in the contest and struggled defensively, something coach Chauncey Billups was quick to address.

“We talked about it, we tried to defend against it, and we just didn’t have pride at all defensively in the game,” Billups said. “There were a couple of guys here and there who fought extremely hard, but our pride wasn’t there on the defensive end of the floor. We just didn’t have enough people pulling the rope in the same direction.”

Despite the defensive struggles, second-year guard Scoot Henderson was a bright spot, scoring a career-high 39 points, including 8-of-10 from beyond the arc.

“As basketball players, you have those nights when it just feels like everything you put up is going to go in,” Billups said. “You want to stay in that moment for as long as possible.”

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Henderson, however, was more concerned with the Blazers’ defensive breakdowns.

“I always go back to what I could have done better and what we could have done better as a team,” he said. “And that was to get the heck back. Too many easy transition points for them we gave up.”

Injury Concerns for Portland

The Blazers will be even more shorthanded against the Clippers:

• Donovan Clingan (ankle) is out and will be re-evaluated in a week.
• Robert Williams III (illness) is doubtful.
• Deni Avdija (ankle) is also doubtful.
• Jerami Grant (face) remains sidelined.

Can Portland Slow Down the Clippers?

The Clippers have won six of their past eight games and appear to be rounding into form as a legitimate contender. With Leonard regaining his rhythm and Harden settling into his role, they’ll be a tough matchup for a Portland squad missing key frontcourt players.

The Blazers will need another stellar performance from Henderson and better team defense if they hope to slow down the red-hot Clippers. If not, L.A. could be on its way to another dominant victory.