I’m bullish on the Los Angeles Clippers when they play the Bucks in Milwaukee on Thursday night.
The pregame narrative: Milwaukee entered the all-star break on a skid and I expect more trouble against a healthy L.A. squad. Back the Clippers on an alternate spread and take James Harden and Kawhi Leonard to be productive.
Check out my Clippers vs. Bucks same-game parlay predictions for Feb. 20.
Clippers vs. Bucks predictions
Parlay: Clippers +3.5 | Harden over 20.5 points | Leonard over 5.5 rebounds (+310)
Clippers +3.5 (-200): Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) and Damian Lillard (hamstring) are both listed as questionable on the NBA’s 10:30 a.m. ET injury report.
If they’re out, great, but I love this number even if both superstars suit up.
The Bucks are 3-6 in their last nine games, and 0-3 in their last three with both Giannis and Lillard playing, losing each matchup by double digits.
To put it bluntly, Doc Rivers hasn’t got the most out of this group. The Bucks are 47-44 since he took over as head coach and are a miserable 24-29-1 ATS this year (10th-worst mark in the NBA).
L.A. is 32-22 ATS, has won three straight games, and handed the Bucks (with Giannis and Lillard) a 10-point loss on Jan. 25.
SGP legs
Harden over 20.5 points (-152): Harden was the driving force behind that win, scoring a game-high 40 points on 50.0% shooting — I’m asking for just over half of that production tonight.
The Bucks have gotten torched by point guards since acquiring Lillard last season, giving up the most points to that position on a per-game basis (26.9), according to Fantasy Pros.
Harden has cleared this mark in seven of his last 10 games while attempting 16.9 shots a night.
This is a smash play in my book.
Leonard over 5.5 rebounds (-118): Leonard seemingly has his minutes restriction lifted and played north of 30 minutes in three straight games heading into the all-star break.
He fell short of this number in each contest, but that doesn’t worry me.
- Leonard has 5+ rebounds in seven of his last eight games, clearing this mark four times.
- The Bucks allow the third-most rebounds per game (8.24) to small forwards.
Leonard is right around this total on a nightly basis. In a plus matchup, I expect the board man to get paid.
Picks made at 11:00 a.m. ET on 02/20/2025.
Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.