Oklahoma City Thunder vs Los Angeles Clippers
Stadium: Paycom Center (Oklahoma)
03.01.2025 04:00
Prediction for the NBA match which will take place on January 3. Who will turn out to be stronger? Check the team conditions! Several betting options are available.
Claim Your Welcome Bonus!Oklahoma City Thunder
The key to the success of the Thunder this season is the progress in defense, which Mark Dayno's team has made compared to the previous championship. So in the last championship Oklahoma conceded 112.7 points per game on average, and now this indicator is only 103.8 points. On defense, the Thunder are still the best in the current championship.
The previous two matches Okla held at home against top opponents from the West. First, the Thunder took advantage of Ja Morant's absence from Memphis and beat the Grizzlies 130:106; and then they defeated Minnesota 113:105. Oklahoma has already won seven straight, and the Thunder are 14-2 at home - the best record in the Western Conference.
Los Angeles Clippers
The team is really among the best on defense. With an average of 107.8 points per game, the Clippers are fifth in defensive rating. However, so far the California team has not been able to establish a game on offense - only 23rd line and 108.8 points scored per game. By comparison, Oklahoma is ninth in the same ranking, scoring 115.3 points per game.
The Clippers failed in their previous matchup, losing 86-122 on the road to San Antonio on all accounts. But before that, LAC won three straight - away over Memphis (114:110) and New Orleans (116:113), and at home over Golden State (102:92).
Expert Betting Tips
Again, in the upcoming game, the top-5 defenses meet - Oklahoma is the best in terms of average passing percentage, while the Los Angeles Clippers are ranked fifth. It is likely, accordingly, that the matchup will turn out to be a low-scoring affair. Yes, in the previous face-to-face game, the rivals scored 262 points for two - Oklahoma's 134:128 home win; but in the first face-to-face meeting, the Thunder beat the Clippers 105:92 at home. We expect a repeat of TU, as well as another win for Okla, which is simply stronger than LAC at the moment.