Golden State Warriors vs. LA Clippers Game 5: Prediction Against The Spread, Betting Odds, Preview

The Golden State Warriors are about to officially punch their ticket to the second round of the 2019 NBA playoffs. The back-to-back defending champs will host the Los Angeles Clippers Wednesday night in Game 5 with a 3-1 series lead.

Golden State is a 14-point favorite at home, according to the latest betting line at OddsShark, following two straight road wins. The total is 235.

L.A. forced Golden State to take notice of them when the Clippers mounted a historic 31-point comeback in the second half of Game 2 to tie the series up at one game apiece. That was just about the only drama that this best-of-seven set has featured, and the Warriors should roll to another victory in the potential clincher.

Following the Game 2 shocker, the Warriors didn’t let the Clippers breath in Game 3 when they jumped out to a 19-point first-quarter lead and cruised to a 132-105 win. Golden State only trailed for about five minutes of game-time whey they defeated Los Angeles 113-105 for a second straight contest at Staples Center.

Kevin Durant’s performance was the biggest difference when the series shifted to Los Angeles. After being affected by the defense of Patrick Beverly, whom Durant called a “pest,” the reigning NBA Finals MVP took over with an average of 35.5 points on 22 shots per game. Durant needed just 30 minutes to scored 38 points in the Game 3 rout.

The Warriors didn’t even need Stephen Curry to do much. The point guard played just 20 minutes in Game 3 and went three-of-14 from the field for 12 points in Game 4.

Klay Thompson picked up the slack Sunday afternoon with 32 points on 12-of-20 shooting. He’s the Warriors’ third-best player and the third-best player in the series. Golden State has too much talent for Los Angeles to overcome after the Clippers surprised the NBA with a 48-win regular season.

It took a perfect half by the Clippers and a poor effort by the Warriors for Los Angeles to steal a game. Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell combined to score 61 points on just 31 field-goal attempts in Game 2.

The Sixth Man of the Year candidates have since come back down to earth, and they are unlikely to put much of a scare into Golden State when they are at the doorstep of the conference semifinals.

It’s certainly possible that the Clippers will hang around in this one for a while. The Warriors are at their best when their backs are against the wall, and they’ve underperformed time and time again in other instances.

But Los Angeles won’t seriously threaten Golden State, who should take the next step in their quest for a three-peat.

Prediction against the spread: Golden State over Los Angeles, 123-113