The Oklahoma City Thunder host the Utah Jazz in Game 2 of their first-round NBA playoffs series Wednesday in a nationally televised contest at 8 p.m. ET. The Thunder were lights-out from beyond the arc in Game 1, sinking 14 of 29 3-pointers. Paul George was a phenomenal 8 of 11 from deep for 36 points, leading Oklahoma City to the victory.

Oklahoma City opened as a five-point home favorite and now is laying 4.5 for Game 2. The over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 206.5, down one from a 207.5 opening.

Before picking either side to this crucial matchup, you need to read what SportsLine NBA expert Larry Hartstein, who has nailed 16 of his past 24 Thunder picks, has to say. 

Nobody has a better feel for the 2018 NBA playoffs, especially the Western Conference, than Hartstein. On Monday, he made a confident selection in Game 2 of Spurs-Warriors, noting how San Antonio, a 9.5-point underdog, had few legitimate scoring threats outside LaMarcus Aldridge. The result: Aldridge scored 34 points, but the rest of the Spurs were an ice-cold 37.5 percent from the field in a 116-101 loss, allowing Hartstein to cover with points to spare.   

Hartstein, who has a strong analytical background, has now examined every matchup, every player and every trend for Jazz-Thunder and locked in his pick. We can tell you he's expecting a low-scoring affair and is leaning toward the under, but what about the spread?

Hartstein knows that if the Jazz expect to win -- or at least cover -- they must defend the perimeter significantly more aggressively than they did during Game 1, when George lit them up from deep. The 116 points were the most allowed by Utah in a month.

But the Thunder can cover by integrating center Steven Adams more into the game plan. The big man had a quiet Game 1 in which he scored only 12 points, hauled in seven boards and didn't register a single steal or a blocked shot. With OKC so dependent on its starters to contribute, it's lucky it didn't need a stellar performance by Adams to secure the series-opener.

So what side of Utah-Oklahoma City do you need to be all over Wednesday? Visit SportsLine now to see the strong point-spread pick by Hartstein, who has absolutely crushed the NBA, and find out.