This is an 8* on BROOKLYN

A huge showdown here with both teams coming off significant victories. Brooklyn has won and covered five straight. They just defeated the Lakers Thursday night, despite no Kevin Durant. That they won by a 109-98 scoreline is atypical as this team leads the league 121.3 points/game. The defense hasn’t been great, but it was good enough against the Lakers. The Nets are now 6-0 straight up and against the spread vs. Pacific Division teams this season. Earlier in the month, they beat the Clippers 124-120. The Clippers have won five of their last six and just ended Utah’s nine-game win streak Friday night. But it was just a four-point win and we don’t see why Los Angeles would be laying this many in a national TV game. Brooklyn still won’t have Durant, which alters the public’s perception of them, but they still have James Harden and Kyrie Irving, a luxury no other team has when the best player is out. Other than the win against Utah, most recent Clippers wins have been against subpar competition. Meanwhile, Brooklyn continues to beat hot teams even without Durant. We’ll grab the points. Play on BROOKLYN

AAA