This Thursday, the (14-11) Los Angeles Clippers will travel to Miami, FL to take on the (11-14) Miami Heat. Tipoff will be at 7:30 PM EST inside the FTX Arena. Both of these teams have been impressive to begin this season, as they are two of the best defensive teams in the league. They will stay aggressive in this game, as I am expecting a battle in this one.

The Los Angeles Clippers are entering this matchup after beating the Charlotte Hornets, 119-117. Leonard hit a game-winning shot in his first game back, as the Clippers are looking to get hot. They will have to show up on the offensive end of the court if they want to challenge the Heat on the road.

The Miami Heat are coming into this one after falling to the Detroit Pistons, 116-96. Miami struggled on both ends of the floor in that game, and they will be looking to bounce back in this one. They have to be better on both ends of the court if they want to take down the Clippers at home.

The Los Angeles Clippers are currently in sixth place in the Western Conference standings, as they trail the first-place Suns by 2.5 games. They are also (6-4) in their last 10 games played, as they have continued to trend in the correct direction. On offense, the Clippers are scoring 107.2 points per game and they have shot 46.9% from the field. This is the least amount of points scored per contest, but the 16th-highest team shooting percentage. According to dunksandthrees.com, the Clippers have an adjusted offensive rating of 107.5, which is the second-lowest rating in the NBA. Paul George has continued to lead the way on the offensive end, as he is scoring 23.4 points per game on 46.2% shooting from the field. Los Angeles has also shown that they can consistently knock down jumpers from behind the arc, as they are shooting 35.8% from deep. This is the 14th-highest three-point shooting percentage in the league, as they have multiple players that can make it rain from three. Unfortunately, they have not taken care of business at the charity stripe. They are only shooting 74.2% from the line, which is the 25th-highest free-throw shooting percentage in the NBA.

On defense, the Clippers have been extremely tough to beat. According to dunksandthrees.com, Los Angeles has an adjusted defensive rating of 110.1, which is the fifth-lowest rating in the league. They are also surrendering 108.8 points per game and their opponents have shot 45.3% from the floor. This is the fifth least amount of points given up per contest and the fifth-lowest shooting percentage allowed from the field. They have continued to contest shots near the rim and on the perimeter, as they don’t allow many clean looks at the basket. The Clippers have also gotten the job done on the perimeter, as they continue to close out on open three-point shooters. They have only allowed their opponents to shoot 34.4% from behind the arc, which is the eighth-lowest three-point shooting percentage allowed in the league. The Clippers are also snatching 43.5 rebounds per game, which is the 13th most in the NBA. They have to secure the ball after missed shots if they want to keep the Heat from crashing the offensive glass.

Injury Report: Luke Kennard SG (Rest), John Wall PG (Knee), Norman Powell SF (Groin), and Marcus Morris SF (Illness) are all listed as out. Make sure to check the updated injury report before placing your wager.

The Miami Heat have not had the start to the season that they were hoping for, as they are currently in 11th place in the Eastern Conference standings. They are also 9 games back from the first-place Celtics, as they will have to get hot if they want to get back into the playoff picture. On offense, Miami is scoring 108.3 points per game and they have shot 44.9% from the field. This is the 28th most points scored per game and the fourth-lowest team shooting percentage. According to dunksandthrees.com, the Heat have an adjusted offensive rating of 109.5, which is the 27th highest rating in the NBA. Bam Adebayo continues to lead the way on the offensive end, as he is scoring 20.7 points per game on 52.7% shooting from the field. The Heats have also struggled from three, as they are only knocking down 33.7% of their shots from behind the arc. This is the 23rd-highest three-point shooting percentage in the league. Miami has taken care of business at the charity stripe, though. They are making 84% of their shots at the line, which is the second-highest team free-throw shooting percentage in the league.

On the defensive end of the court, the Heat have continued to shut down their opponents. They are currently surrendering 110.2 points per game and their opponents have only shot 47.3% from the field. This is the 21st-lowest shooting percentage surrendered from the floor, but the ninth-least amount of points given up per game. According to dunksandhrees.com, the Heat have an adjusted defensive rating of 110.6, which is the eighth-lowest rating in the league. Miami’s perimeter defense has also been impressive, as they are holding their opponents to 35.6% shooting from behind the arc. They continue to close out on open jump shooters, as this is the 16th-lowest three-point shooting percentage allowed in the NBA. They are also snatching 41.3 rebounds per game, which is the 27th most in the league. They have to clean the glass after missed shots if they want to keep the Clippers from scoring second-chance points.

Injury Report: Gabe Vincent PG (Knee) and Dewayne Dedmon C (Foot) are listed as questionable for this game. Jimmy Butler missed their last game, but he is not listed on the injury report. Please check the updated injuries before placing your wager.