In what should be one of the best first round NBA playoff series \u2013 the (No. 3) Los Angeles Clippers take on the (No. 6) San Antonio Spurs. These two played each other in the 2012 NBA playoffs too.<\/p>\n
Back in 2012, the Spurs won the series 4-0, but the Clippers are in better shape now. <\/p>\n
As always, visit Cappers Picks daily for our latest NBA playoffs picks and analysis.<\/p>\n
\nNBA Basketball Odds<\/h3>\n
San Antonio Spurs vs. Los Angeles Clippers
\nSeries Odds: Spurs \u2013175 vs. Clippers +155<\/p>\nSeries Schedule<\/b><\/p>\n
Game 1 \u2013 Sunday, April 19th 2015 at 10:30pm ET on TNT
\nGame 2 \u2013 Wednesday, April 22nd 2015 at 10:30pm ET on TNT
\nGame 3 \u2013 Friday, April 24th 2015 at 9:30pm ET on ESPN
\nGame 4 \u2013 Sunday, April 26th 2015 at 3:30pm ET on ABC
\nGame 5 \u2013 Tuesday, April 28th 2015 (Time: TBD)
\nGame 6 \u2013 Thursday, April 30th 2015 (Time: TBD)
\nGame 7 \u2013 Saturday, May 2nd 2015 (Time: TBD) on TNT<\/p><\/blockquote>\nThe San Antonio Spurs (55-27) will look to defend the NBA title, after defeating the Heat in 2014 (4-1).<\/p>\n
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SAS are heating up at the right time. They closed the regular season on a 9-1 run and the majority of the team are healthy. However, not having home court advantage will prove to be the downfall of the Spurs.<\/p>\n
The Los Angeles Clippers (56-26) have won seven games in a row and nine of their last ten. The Clippers don\u2019t have a single injury to worry about and they\u2019ll be looking to improve upon last year\u2019s finish.<\/p>\n
LAC beat the Warriors in the first round (4-3) last season, but they lost to the Thunder (4-2) in round two.<\/p>\n
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Offense<\/h3>\n
We should see plenty of points in this series, as both teams rank in the top ten in scoring. The Clippers averaged 106.7 PPG (2nd) during the regular season, while the Spurs averaged 103.2 PPG (7th).<\/p>\n
Both teams rank among the worst teams in offensive rebounding. The Spurs average 9.8 ORPG (27th) and the Clips average 9.6 ORPG (28th). I was surprised to see the Clips rank so low in this category.<\/p>\n
These teams counter each other with a veteran PG. Tony Parker is healthy and playing better finally, but Chris Paul has the edge at PG. Both teams play team basketball and rank in the top five in assists.<\/p>\n
Tiago Splitter and Matt Bonner are both banged up, which hurts the Spurs depth in the paint. Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan have to dominate the paint and force the Spurs to beat them by shooting.<\/p>\n
Offensively, the Clips have a considerable edge. The Clips even rank 3rd in 3-pointers made this season (10.1 3PM Per Game). Will the Spurs cover the perimeter and leave the paint open for Griffin to operate?<\/p>\n
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Defense<\/h3>\n
The Spurs are the better defensive team, as they rank 3rd in points allowed (97.0 PPG), while the Clips rank 16th in points allowed (100.1 PPG). The Spurs are also a slightly better rebounding team.<\/p>\n
If the Spurs big men can\u2019t play to start the series, they\u2019ll be in trouble. The Clippers have size and like to dominate the paint. However, Leonard and Danny Green are both great defenders at their position.<\/p>\n
Both teams rank closely in steals and blocks. The Spurs average 8.0 SPG (11th) and 5.4 BPG (8th), while the Clippers average 7.8 SPG (13th) and 5.0 BPG (9th). At the end of the day \u2013 the Spurs are better on defense.<\/p>\n
Series Prediction:<\/h3>\n
Bet on the Clippers to Win the Series (+155)<\/b><\/p>\n
I\u2019m surprised to see the Clippers as an underdog in this market. The Clips are the better team this season and I can\u2019t pass up the value. The Spurs dynasty is slowly ending and this year will be a wake-up call.<\/p>\n
I have the Clippers winning the series in six games against the Spurs.<\/p>\n
Tim Duncan, Parker and Manu Ginobli won\u2019t make it easy on the Clippers, but I\u2019m confident the underdog will win this series. The Clippers will also have home court advantage in the series, which will help.<\/p>\n
Check out our\u00a0Updated NBA Betting Odds<\/a>.<\/h3>\n
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