Los Angeles at Golden State

It has been a wild ride through five games in this series. Each team has had 20+ point blowout wins, while the other three games have been decided by a combined 16 points. It is those three games that should be more representative here, in what is a closeout game for LA on the road. The Clippers have been able to impose their offensive will in the three played in LA, where they have lit up the scoreboard for an average of 118.7 points per game. That has not been the case on the road vs. Golden State where they have yet to see the 100-point mark in the two games played at the Oracle. The Clippers have yet to score 50 points in the first half of each of the first two played at Golden State. They know that Golden State is facing elimination, so they're going to come out with an assertive defensive presence in the first half. Doc Rivers has been through enough playoffs games to have his Clippers ready to match the level of intensity early. The competitive games in this series have been lower scoring, so I look for this one to open up in defensive fashion as well. Go with the first half UNDER. Also take the Clippers to close this series out. Sure, LA can go home for a game seven but they don't want to leave things up to that chance. And they want some extra rest. Every game that goes on, the wear of missing Andrew Bogut wears more and more on the Warriors. This team has allowed the Clippers to average 110 per game - a full 10 points more than their season average (60 of those are coming in the second half btw). LA is now 32-23 ATS vs. high-scoring teams like Golden State this season (teams averaging 99+ per game). They are also 35-9 straight-up the past two seasons when coming off a double-digit home win. And, Mark Jackson is just 32-42 straight-up when revenging a same-season loss. Take the Clips to win and take the first-half UNDER.