The NBA odds for the Golden State Warriors have undergone adjustments leading up to Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers due to the indefinite suspension of Draymond Green. Green was ejected in the Tuesday game against the Phoenix Suns for inadvertently striking Jusuf Nurkic in the face, adding to his history of on-court altercations, including a recent suspension for a chokehold on Rudy Gobert.

Despite the Warriors being below .500 and dealing with drama, there’s a surprising prediction for the game against the Clippers on December 14: the Golden State Warriors are favored on the spread. The reasoning behind this choice is rooted in the belief that the team’s struggles and internal conflicts might work in their favor, contrary to market expectations. The argument is that the Clippers should be closer to a 4-point favorite than the listed 5.5-point favorite, suggesting the possibility of gaining an extra point and a half due to the prevailing narrative.

The author highlights the Warriors’ recent victories over the Clippers and the close game on December 2, where they almost secured another win despite missing key players Andrew Wiggins and Chris Paul. With the belief that players like Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, and Moses Moody are eager to prove themselves and compete for starting positions, the prediction is that the Warriors will bring maximum effort to the game.

In addition to the spread bet, there’s a suggested same-game parlay involving James Harden’s Over 7.5 assists. The rationale behind this choice is based on Harden’s recent performances against the Warriors, where he had 14 and 18 potential assists in back-to-back games at the end of November. The article concludes with a reference to NBA player props bets for Thursday, indicating a belief in a positive expected value for the Warriors +5.5 spread at -124 and supporting the inclusion of James Harden’s assists in a same-game parlay.