Warriors vs. Clippers odds: Picks from red-hot expert on 17-5 NBA run

Larry Hartstein has nailed 17 of his last 22 NBA against the spread picks and locked in a play for Thursday

The red-hot Clippers, winners of seven of their last nine, head to Oakland on Thursday to take on the Warriors in a nationally televised 10:30 p.m. ET contest. The Clippers trail the Pelicans by a half-game for the final Western Conference playoff berth, while the Warriors are a half-game behind the Rockets for best record.

Golden State opened as an 11-point home favorite and now is laying 10.5. The Over-Under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, has dipped from 233.5 to 233.

Before picking either side, you need to read what SportsLine hoops expert Larry Hartstein -- who has put together a sizzling 17-5 run picking NBA games -- has to say. 

Before the All-Star break, Hartstein made a confident pick on Clippers-Celtics, noting how Los Angeles, a 4.5-point underdog, had been playing better since the return of Danilo Gallinari. The result: Gallinari netted 20 points as L.A. rolled to a 129-119 victory, which allowed Hartstein to cover by more than a dozen points.

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

Hartstein knows if Los Angeles wants to win -- or at least keep it within the spread -- it's going to need a monster effort from DeAndre Jordan patrolling the boards. He's hauling in about 16 rebounds per outing over his last 10 games. The Clippers can't afford to allow any easy putbacks against the attacking Warriors.

But Golden State can cover the spread by limiting turnovers and getting quality possessions against a middling Clippers defense that's been gashed for 111 points a night over its last three games. The Warriors' superior passing abilities should allow plenty of open looks for Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson beyond the arc.

Hartstein has identified a tried and true stat that causes one side of the spread to hit. Anyone who follows him could hit it big.

So what side of Los Angeles-Golden State do you need to be all over? Visit SportsLine now to see the strong spread pick for Warriors vs. Clippers, and see what bankable stat determines the outcome, all from the expert on a 17-5 NBA run.