Warriors vs Clippers Free Pick, NBA Free Picks, NBA Predictions 1/5/26
- J.A. Cavalier
- Jan 5
- 3 min read
GOLDEN STATE @ LA CLIPPERS (LAC -1.5, 225.5)
NBA ODDS, NBA PREDICTIONS, NBA PREVIEWS
WARRIORS @ CLIPPERS 1/5/26
Monday night's matchup between the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Clippers pits two teams that are on the rise despite a recent thrashing. In their ongoing ascent toward the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns at the top of the Pacific Division, the Warriors have won six of eight games and the Clippers six of seven.
Golden State defeated the Jazz 123-114 on Saturday night despite Draymond Green’s ejection in the second quarter. That win came after a 37-point thrashing at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday.
The Warriors will play their only away game in a stretch of 11 games where 10 are at home when they travel to Los Angeles tonight. Coach Steve Kerr told the media following Saturday's victory that his team’s spirit is good. The Warriors haven't won more than three straight games this season.
"Buddy Hield didn't play tonight, but his energy on the bench, his connection with teammates, kept us engaged. Following the veteran's fourth healthy scratch in the team's previous eight games after appearing in 199 straight, Kerr remarked, "Buddy was incredible."
"A few weeks ago, Draymond stated that Buddy is among his all-time top five teammates. He is among the best players I have ever worked with as a coach. Because of this, even though he is currently out of the rotation, he maintains his cheerful disposition, jokes on the bench, and keeps folks relaxed. Buddy is a remarkable person.
The fact that Stephen Curry has scored at least 23 points in nine of his last ten games since he returned from a quad injury has also been beneficial. He has hit 50 out of 122 three-pointers (41%) during that stretch.
When the Warriors and Clippers played in San Francisco in October, Curry scored 19 points while making only two of eight shots from beyond the arc. Jimmy Butler III, who scored 21 points in Golden State's 98-79 victory, carried the brunt of the work that evening.
The Clippers' 6-21 start and subsequent loss to the Warriors led some analysts to predict that they would be sellers at the trade deadline. But before Saturday's 146-115 home loss to the Boston Celtics, the team rallied with a six-game winning streak under the leadership of Kawhi Leonard.
During the latest six-game streak, Leonard averaged 39.0 points while James Harden averaged 25.5, but veteran Kris Dunn attributed much of the accomplishment to a review of the schedule and a matching shift in mindset.
He told The Athletic last week, "Everyone's urgency just went up as a group." "Understanding that it's starting to get ... not late into the season, but we're getting into the thick of the season, and we want to just turn things around."
Leonard isn't talking about the playoffs just yet, as the team is still 2.5 games out of 10th place in the Western Conference standings.
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FREE PICK
AL HORFORD OVER 11.5 PRA
Horford continues to defy his age. He has gone Over this prop in 4 of his last 5 games and 8 of his last 10. Over the last five games, Horford is averaging 15.2 PRA, nearly four higher than tonight’s line. The matchup against the Clippers defense is favorable. LA ranks 20th in the NBA in defending centers. Horford also has the ability to stretch the floor as he makes 1.5 three-pointers per game. That creates space in the lane and allows Horford to pick up more assists. He’s also an effective rebounder, averaging 4.5 per game.
