Clippers vs. Lakers Thursday NBA odds: Kawhi Leonard, John Wall return with Clippers among title favorites

The Los Angeles Clippers have never reached the NBA Finals (and just one Western Conference Finals) but with Kawhi Leonard and John Well both set to return after missing all of last season, they might be the deepest team in the league and are +650 third favorites at Caesars Sportsbook to win it all this summer. The Clippers play their season opener against the rival Lakers on Thursday with the "visiting" Clippers set as 6-point underdogs – up from an open of -3.

Leonard, a two-time NBA Finals MVP (with the Spurs and Raptors), likely is a top-5 all-around player in the NBA when healthy but hasn't played a game that counted since Game 4 of the 2021 Western Conference semifinals against Utah, when he injured his knee.

Kawhi has played just 178 regular season games since then-Warriors center Zaza Pachulia stepped under his left ankle while with the Spurs midway through Game 1 of the 2017 Western Conference Finals — an average of 36 games over the past five seasons. There's no question that the Clippers will manage his workload/minutes this year, probably limiting him to around 65 games even if healthy as they only care about the playoffs. Thus, Leonard at +2500 for MVP likely isn't a wise bet.

Fellow All-Star Paul George is going to get several games off, too, and so will Wall, who didn't take the court last season simply because the Houston Rockets didn't want him around. Wall is a five-time All-Star who might have been the fastest player in the league for a while. He's not at that level any longer, but the former No. 1 overall pick did average 20.6 points and 6.9 rebounds in 40 games for Houston in 2020-21. Wall is expected to come off the bench for LA.

The Clippers have some impressive depth with those three, Reggie Jackson, Marcus Morris, Ivica Zubac, Norman Powell, Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington, Luke Kennard and Terance Mann all in the fold.

Some books already have punished the Lakers on their futures after losing 123-109 at Golden State on Tuesday. It was tied for the second-largest loss by a LeBron James team in a season opener. His Cavaliers lost by 18 points to the Mavericks on Opening Night in 2007.

James nearly had a triple-double but was -10. Anthony Davis was -21. FanDuel moved the Lakers from +2700 to +3500 to win the NBA title. They are now at 43.5 wins and only -170 to make the playoffs. At BetMGM, the Lakers moved from +230 to +195 to miss the playoffs, and 96% of bets are on them to miss.

The Clippers have won seven straight games against the Lakers. 

Looking for the best picks against the spread, sharp plays on the total and props you can take straight to the pay window? Join Jonathan Coachman on The Early Edge as he speaks with SportsLine's top handicappers to preview the day's biggest games. We promise to keep it short and sweet and to put some green in your pocket. The Early Edge is in your feed every single day by 11 a.m. ET. Subscribe right here on YouTube to watch daily, plus don't miss The Early Edge specials and live shows!