@KeepTheJuice21 NBA Best Bets - 2/17

Against all odds, the Clippers are playing great basketball. When you lose your star players, it’s hard to tell how the rest of the team will react, but it seems the Clippers have embraced the challenge. With the length of injuries to Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers really had no choice but to re-evaluate the team and the Jackson/Mann/Morris/Zubac lineup is… capable. They’re playing close games against some of the best teams in the league and getting it done elsewhere.

I don’t need to harp on the mess that’s going on in Houston right now, but we all know the look of a team with no will to win. It sounds cliche but the Clippers have heart and should beat Houston HANDILY, as many this season have.

There’s a reason the Heat are in sole possession of the lead in the East. The team is disciplined and talented, a dangerous combination. The Mavs got the better of them on Tuesday and one of the best indicators of a great team is how they react to a loss. The Heat lead the league in record against the spread after a loss at 14-6. That’s a 70% hit rate, this is a tough team.

The opposing Hornets have had their moments this year, but they struggle against those tough, bulldog mentality teams. Teams like the Clippers, the Bulls, the Grizzlies and even the Heat. No coincidence, those are all teams that have beat the Hornets in the last two weeks. The Heat won the last one by 18, I think this one will look similar.