76ers vs. Clippers NBA Predictions and Free Pick for March 25 (Archive)
The Philadelphia 76ers (45-27) are still in Los Angeles to take on the Clippers (36-38) this Friday evening on NBA TV. The 76ers got past the Lakers without LeBron James with a 126-121 win on Wednesday.
The Clippers have lost four in a row but did get one over on the 76ers in Philadelphia two months ago. Let’s see what the NBA odds for this matchup tell us!
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Los Angeles Clippers
Friday, March 25, 2022 – 10:30 PM EDT at Crypto.com Arena
The 76ers (35-36-1 ATS) are a 5.5-point favorite over the Clippers (35-38-1 ATS) at BMR’s top-rated sportsbooks. The total is 221.5 points, but the Clippers (47.2%) and 76ers (45.7%) are two of the seven most likely teams to hit the under this season. Their only meeting in January was a 102-101 win by the Clippers.
January 21 Recap: Clippers 102, 76ers 101
One of the best wins this season for the Clippers came in Philadelphia two months ago. Despite allowing Joel Embiid to score 40 points and getting outscored 37-16 in the second quarter, the Clippers still prevailed in the end. Tyrese Maxey missed a game-winning shot attempt at the buzzer.
The 76ers are 15-2 this season when Embiid scores at least 35 points, but the Clippers were one of the two losses. Embiid had five of the team’s seven turnovers, still tied for the second-lowest game this season by the 76ers. But the Clippers outshot the 76ers by a fair margin (46% vs. 41.8%).
All five starters for the Clippers scored at least 12 points, and Luke Kennard had two big threes to start the fourth-quarter comeback after the Clippers entered the quarter down 10 points. Reggie Jackson had 19 points and nine assists as Los Angeles battles on without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
Join Now: $1,000 BMR 12-Week All Sports Challenge
If the last week in the NBA has proven anything, it’s that Kevin Garnett had a point. Anything is possible. The 76ers alone are a great example of this. They were 8-point underdogs in Miami without Embiid and James Harden, but they still won that game comfortably.
Philadelphia was then expected to blow out the Lakers without LeBron James as a 10-point favorite, but that was a close game in the fourth quarter before the 76ers eventually won by five points. Since getting blown out by Brooklyn, the 76ers are 2-6 ATS in the last eight games.
Recent Play: 76ers Winning, Clippers Spinning
The 76ers still have a shot at the top seed in the Eastern Conference. The Clippers are five games ahead of the Lakers for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference, but this team is not playing well right now.
While the 76ers have not been covering spreads, they are still winning the games. The same cannot be said of the Clippers, who are 2-7 SU in their last nine games. Over the last nine games, the Clippers are No. 26 in Offensive Rating and No. 23 in Defensive Rating, so it has been a disappointment at both ends.
The Clippers have allowed at least 120 points in three of the last four games. Los Angeles is 2-19 when allowing more than 115 points this season. This team is not built to win a shootout. The 76ers are 32-4 when scoring at least 110 points, a mark they have hit 12 times in their last 15 games.
Despite some recent shooting struggles for Harden, the 76ers have shot at least 49% in four of the last five games, all of which were wins. Harden momentarily left Wednesday’s game with an injury before returning to finish it.
He should be good to go for this one, and when he was still with Brooklyn this season, Harden scored 39 points (tied for his season-high) and 34 points in two games against the Clippers. He also had 28 assists in those two games, so his numbers have been huge against Los Angeles this season.
Predictions
Defensively, the Clippers have been allowing big performances to star players during this losing streak, including Nikola Jokic, Pascal Siakam, Darius Garland, and Rudy Gobert. Offensively, Tyrese Maxey would arguably be the best player on the Clippers, and he only has to be no more than the third-best for Philadelphia.
I see no reason why Embiid and Harden should not continue this losing streak for the Clippers. For my NBA picks, I like the 76ers to cover and hit the over after another high-scoring game in Los Angeles.
Score Prediction: 76ers 117, Clippers 109
NBA Pick: 76ers -5.5 (-110) with Bovada (visit our Bovada Review)
NBA Pick: Over 221.5 Points (-110) with Bovada
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.