Time to Buy Low on Clippers to Win the Western Conference With Paul George's Return

Paul George is back, and the Los Angeles Clippers may have just become the most dangerous team in the bottom half of the Western Conference playoff picture. 

George and Los Angeles erased a 25-point deficit against the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night, and his return has ignited a team that has somehow stayed afloat without its two best players (George and Kawhi Leonard) for the majority of the 2021-22 season. 

While Leonard’s return is still very much in question, the Clippers could also get guard Norman Powell back in the lineup. Powell, a trade deadline acquisition from the Portland Trail Blazers, could help boost the Clippers’ offense which has been the team’s Achilles heel (26th in offensive rating) this season. 

I think this may be the time to take a shot on the Clips to win the Western Conference, so let’s take a look at their odds to do so at WynnBET Sportsbook: 

Odds to Win the Western Conference

• Phoenix Suns: +120
• Golden State Warriors: +275
• Memphis Grizzlies: +600
• Utah Jazz: +800
• Dallas Mavericks: +1200
• Denver Nuggets: +1200
• Los Angeles Clippers: +2500
• Los Angeles Lakers: +3000
• Minnesota Timberwolves: +3000

Buy Low on the Clippers Before It’s Too Late

Los Angeles is locked into the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference, which means it will have to get through the play-in tournament, but the team will have two chances to win one game and get into the field.

While the Western Conference is a bit of a minefield, there are teams that can be beat, especially the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies, at the top of the conference. 

Golden State has taken a serious step back after a strong start, and the Grizzlies are an inexperienced playoff team that would have to knock off a Clippers team that made the Western Conference Finals without Leonard last season. 

While a first-round matchup with the Phoenix Suns would concern me, it would also give Los Angeles a chance to knock off the top team in the West and face a substantially easier road afterwards. 

The Clippers are a completely different team with George in the lineup this season, and they have one of the game’s best coaches in Tyronn Lue. Here’s the Clippers’ splits with and without George this season: 

Paul George’s Impact on the Clippers

Record

• With George: 15-2
• Without George: 22-27

Net Rating

• With George: Plus-1.5
• Without George: Minus-3.4

George is a top-15 player in the NBA, and he showed last season that he can single-handedly take this Clippers team on a deep playoff run. Los Angeles upset the top-seeded Utah Jazz last season, and now it’s going to be as healthy as it's been all season entering the playoffs. 

Lue is a master of adjustments, as he played Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert off the floor in last year’s playoffs with smaller lineups, and I think he would give Monty Williams and the Suns a tough series against each other. 

If you’re looking for a long shot, I think the Clippers at +2500 may give you the most bang for your buck. If Leonard somehow returns, it may be the best bet on the board come the postseason.

Find Peter Dewey’s full betting record in the NBA this season here.