Los Angeles Clippers vs. Golden State Warriors: Betting Odds, Analysis, NBA Pick
The last time the Los Angeles Clippers (35-21) visited Oakland, they were blown out 144-98 by the Golden State Warriors (47-9) as 13-point road underdogs to suffer their eighth of nine consecutive losses in the series between the two Pacific Division teams.
That was on January 28, and the Clippers will again be double-digit underdogs when they visit the Warriors on Thursday night to open the second half of the season.
Point spread: The Warriors opened as 14-point favorites; the total is at 230.5, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report.)
NBA pick, via OddsShark computer: 116.4-99.5 Warriors (NBA picks on every game).
Why the Clippers can cover the spread
Sooner or later, Los Angeles is going to break through and cover the spread against Golden State like the team did almost a year ago to the day at home. The Clippers covered as four-point underdogs in a 115-112 loss before failing to beat the spread in the past four meetings.
The potential return of point guard Chris Paul would help Los Angeles, as he has been cleared to return following thumb surgery last month.
Why the Warriors can cover the spread
The Warriors are playing as good as ever right now, which is scary for the rest of the league. They headed into the All-Star break on a 4-1 run both straight up and against the spread.
Sure, the loss during that stretch was an ugly 132-110 rout on the road by the Denver Nuggets. But the four wins were all decided by 15 points or more, including a 130-114 victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder as eight-point road chalk in Kevin Durant's return to that city.
Smart pick
Golden State has its eye on the top seed in the Western Conference for the third straight year and only has to worry about the San Antonio Spurs, who tend to rest their players quite a bit in preparation for the playoffs.
The Warriors may or may not take a similar approach down the stretch this season after they failed to win the NBA title last year despite posting the best record of all time at 73-9. This is a divisional game, though, and they will want to extend their lead over the Clips to 13 games with another cover.
Betting trends
Los Angeles is 5-1 ATS in its last six games.
Los Angeles is 5-1 ATS in its last six games on the road.
Golden State is 6-0-1 ATS in its last seven games at home.
All NBA lines and betting trends courtesy of Bleacher Report’s official odds partner, OddsShark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line-movement updates and the OddsShark YouTube page for picks and analysis, or download the free odds tracker app.
