Teams that could battle for the top spot in the Western Conference this season meet on Thursday when the Los Angeles Clippers visit the Golden State Warriors. The Clippers (1-0), who were 28-24 against the West last season, went 22-19 on the road a year ago, while the Warriors were 30-11 at home and 35-17 against the Western Conference. Thursday's game will tip off at 10:30 p.m. ET from Chase Center in San Francisco. The Warriors have made 35 playoff appearances in their 73 seasons, while the Clippers have made the postseason 14 times in 50 seasons. L.A. is a one-point favorite in the latest Clippers vs. Warriors odds, off a half-point from the opener, while the over-under for total points scored is 227.5. You'll want to see what the SportsLine Projection Model predictions are saying about the game before laying any Clippers vs. Warriors picks down.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, and anyone who followed it last season saw massive returns. The model finished 300-252 on all its top-rated NBA picks. On top-rated against-the-spread and money line picks alone, the model returned a whopping $4,280.

Now, the model has simulated Warriors vs. Clippers 10,000 times. We can tell you it's leaning over, but it's also generated an against the spread pick that hits in well over 50 percent of simulations. That one is available exclusively at SportsLine.

The model knows the Clippers, who finished 11-5 against Pacific Division foes last season, are 328-211 under seventh-year coach Doc Rivers, which included their only two division championships in team history (2013 and 2014). Los Angeles has put together eight straight winning seasons. In the season-opening win over the Lakers on Tuesday, the Clippers shot 51.9 percent from the floor and 35.5 percent from 3-point range. 

Guard Lou Williams had a stellar night against the Lakers, coming off the bench and hitting 8-of-14 shots for 21 points and grabbing five rebounds. Williams has come up big against the Warriors the past two seasons. In 2018-19, he averaged 21 points and 6.7 assists against them. In 2017-18, he averaged 27.8 points and 6.3 assists vs. the Warriors.  

But just because Los Angeles has high hopes this season does not guarantee it will cover the Warriors vs. Clippers spread on Thursday.

That's because Golden State has been one of the NBA's elite over the past seven years, reaching the NBA Finals in each of the past five seasons and winning titles in 2015, 2017 and 2018. Under sixth-year coach Steve Kerr, Golden State is 399-116, including an NBA-record 73-9 regular-season mark in 2015-16.

The Warriors' offense is led by guard Stephen Curry, who averaged 27.3 points and 5.3 rebounds last season. Curry torched the Clippers in 2018-19, averaging 32.3 points and connecting on 54.1 percent of his field goals.

So who wins Clippers vs. Warriors? And which side of the spread can you bank on in well over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Clippers vs. Warriors spread to jump on Thursday, all from the advanced model that is up more than $4,200 on its top-rated NBA sides picks last season, and find out.