The Los Angeles Clippers media day felt a bit depressing. Whether it was the spotlight on the new Clippers stadium outshining that of their season outlook or Kawhi Leonard revealing he plans to deal with knee issues for the rest of his career, things don’t look great for the Clippers. Their schedule is only tougher this year as the rest of the West has gotten stronger. Our 2024-25 preview will look at the bleak Clippers odds to see if their win total is worth taking for your best NBA futures bet.
2024-25 NBA Betting Preview: LA Clippers Win Total Odds
*All Los Angeles Clippers odds are courtesy of FanDuel.com*
Best Season of The Leonard/George Era
The Clippers 2023-24 campaign was their best regular season during the Kawhi Leonard and Paul George era. They won 51 games, good for a four-seed in the Western Conference. They outperformed expectations, going five wins over their projected win total of 46.5.
Most Efficient Offenses In NBA History
What Jumps Out?1. Celtics, 2023-24 ……. 121.0*
2. Pacers, 2023-24 …… 120.5
3. Thunder, 2023-24 …. 119.6
4. Clippers, 2023-24 … 119.2
5. Bucks, 2023-24 …….. 118.8*Points Per 100 Possessions pic.twitter.com/cmfGWXW79i
— Kirk Goldsberry (@kirkgoldsberry) February 24, 2024
After their 51-win regular season, the Clippers entered the playoffs as a dark horse that many were picking to reach the NBA finals. Unfortunately, the Clippers were eliminated in the first round by the eventual Western Conference Champion, Dallas Mavericks. For what seems to be a yearly tradition, health played a major factor in the Clippers’ playoff failure.
Scary Road Ahead
The Clippers face a challenging 2024-25 season. The departure of nine-time All-Star George to the Philadelphia 76ers leaves a huge gap in their lineup, making it difficult to maintain their championship aspirations. Although the Clippers signed players like Mo Bamba and Derrick Jones Jr., none can fully replace George’s production.
all hits, no misses from Harden 👀 pic.twitter.com/jBsMLFUcf5
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) October 3, 2024
Kawhi Leonard’s health remains a key concern, as his availability has been inconsistent in recent years. James Harden’s recent decline is another concern. Overall, the Clippers’ depth chart will have trouble competing in a stacked Western Conference.
Current Clippers Odds
The Clippers projected win total for this season is set at 38.5, a significant drop from last year’s 51-win campaign. Before last season’s much-needed success, the Clippers had underperformed on their projected win total for two years in a row. The Clippers hadn’t had a win total projection lower than 40 since the 2018-19 season when their rag-tag underdog team won 48 games and grabbed two playoff wins against the formidable Golden State Warriors.
Kawhi Leonard at media day 💀
(via @Balldontlie)pic.twitter.com/wLuNZMgveu
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) September 30, 2024
With Leonard’s health issues and Harden no longer the scoring force he once was, it will be tough for the Clippers to stay competitive without George. There’s no doubt the Clippers will be worse this year than last, but the question becomes: Are they 13 wins worse?
If the Clippers weren’t opening the Intuit Dome this season, it would behoove them to tank, as the rest of the Western Conference seems to be outgrowing them. That being said, the launch of their new stadium puts pressure on the team to win and fill the seats. If Leonard can play 68 games like last season (his most since 2016-17) and Harden can find one more great season in his veteran legs, the Clippers could win 40 or more games. Unfortunately, those are some pretty big “Ifs”.
