Clippers Face Thunder in High-Stakes NBA Showdown

LOS ANGELES, CA — The Los Angeles Clippers will host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday, March 23, 2025, in a highly anticipated matchup between two of the NBA’s hottest teams. Both squads are vying for playoff positioning as the regular season winds down.

The Clippers have recorded five consecutive victories and have won eight of their last 10 games, pulling within half a game of the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference. Oddly, oddsmakers have installed the Thunder as slight favorites despite the Clippers’ impressive home record of 25-10 against the spread this season.

The Thunder, currently the top team in the West, are focusing on securing the best overall record in the league but are facing challenges with injuries. Jalen Williams has been ruled out for the contest, while Lu Dort is listed as questionable. This puts added pressure on star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has averaged 32.9 points per game this season and scored 30 or more in four of his last five games.

In their previous encounter, the Clippers managed to limit Gilgeous-Alexander to just 29 points. However, with Williams unavailable, it is expected that his usage rate will be elevated in this crucial game.

In terms of player prop bets, analysts are focusing on several key performances. James Harden is gaining traction with a projection of over 9.5 assists, having averaged 9.6 assists per game in March. Analyst predictions suggest he could deliver 10-11 assists in this matchup.

For the Clippers’ Ivica Zubac, the expectation is to exceed 12.5 rebounds, as he is currently grabbing an average of 12.2 rebounds this month. Analysts are predicting he may join the 13-15 rebound range today.

Additionally, Gilgeous-Alexander is poised to score over 33.5 points, and his recent scoring averages indicate he could hit between 35 and 39 points in this contest. Chet Holmgren, the Thunder’s forward, is projected to surpass 16.5 points given his recent form.

Taking into account the absence of key Thunder players, the Clippers are also seen as a strong pick to cover the spread, especially given their high-level basketball performance lately.

As the Thunder attempt to complete a season sweep over the Clippers, the competitive nature of this game is expected to deliver a thrilling showdown, with the Clippers likely maintaining their momentum at home.

The game will start at 9:00 p.m. ET at Crypto.com Arena, and it promises to be a pivotal matchup with significant implications for the playoff picture.