Tip-off: Thursday, 10:35 p.m. ET
Line: Los Angeles -4.5, Total: 213

The Clippers look to extend their winning streak to five games when they head back home to face the Mavericks on Thursday night.

Dallas has looked energized all season long but has gone back and forth between wins and losses in each of its past eight games, going 4-3 SU (2-6-1 ATS). The Mavs' last game ended in defeat when they hosted the Warriors on Tuesday night, losing 122-120 as five-point favorites. The Mavericks allowed Golden State to shoot an incredible 52-for-91 from the field (57.1%), the worst effort Dallas has put forth on defense all season long. Los Angeles once again proved why it is one of the best teams in the NBA when it went into Phoenix on Wednesday night. In what was the Clippers' fifth straight road game, they came back from a 13-point deficit after three quarters to win the game by a score of 112-108. This was their fourth straight win on the road as they shot 11-for-26 (42.3%) from three-point range and 27-for-30 (90.0%) from the charity stripe. The Mavericks are coming off an eight-game homestand, and this game will be the first of four straight on the road, where they have gone 19-17 SU and 23-13 ATS on the season. Los Angeles has been nearly unbeatable at home though, with an SU record of 31-5, while going 18-18 ATS. With the first three games of this season series already in the books, the Clippers will look for a sweep on the year as they have gone 3-0 SU (2-1 ATS) in the first three contests. Points have come easy to each team in these games, as the average total between them is 233 points, with each club hitting at least nine threes in each of the games. Going back a little further, L.A. holds the edge in this matchup with a 7-2 SU record (5-3-1 ATS) over the past three seasons. Dallas has been able to remain healthy and has no current significant injuries, while SG Jamal Crawford (Achilles) is questionable for the Clippers. SF Danny Granger (hamstring) and SG J.J. Redick (hip) will also continue to remain on the sidelines for the home team.

Can the Clippers keep rolling towards the playoffs with a comfortable win on Thursday? For the answer, connect to The Platinum Sheet for all the Expert picks throughout the entire 2012-13 season. StatFox Zach is a stellar 72% ATS (13-5) since March 9, while StatFox Gary is heating up with a 59% ATS mark (19-13) since Feb. 13. StatFox Dave has a strong 56% ATS (49-39-1) Best Bets record since Dec. 1, while StatFox Brian also remains profitable, going 53.1% ATS (26-23-1) since Jan. 25.

The Mavericks have played a typical West Coast type of offense and rank eighth in the league in PPG (105.1) while scoring an impressive 111.6 PPG (47% FG) over their past five contests. In those same five games, they have really struggled on the defensive side of the ball, allowing their opponents to put up 111.4 PPG (49% FG), a much higher point total than the 102.8 PPG (8th-worst in league) they have allowed this season. PF Dirk Nowitzki (21.6 PPG, 6.2 RPG) is coming off an incredible game in the loss to the Warriors where he scored 33 points with 11 rebounds, marking his second 30-point performance in his past four contests. He’s certainly done his best to keep the Mavericks from losing against the Clippers this season, scoring 24.0 PPG (46% FG) and grabbing 7.0 RPG. SG Monta Ellis (19.0 PPG, 5.7 APG, 1.8 SPG) also played well in the Warriors game (27 points, 6 assists) but has run into some offensive trouble in his three tries against Los Angeles this year, averaging only 12.7 PPG (36% FG), 9.7 APG and 2.7 SPG. Over his 24 career games (21 starts) against them, he has proven to be a much more effective scorer, netting 17.6 PPG (45% FG) while adding 6.5 APG and 1.5 SPG. Despite being 37 years old, SG Vince Carter (12.1 PPG, 3.6 RPG) has provided Dallas with great minutes off the bench, draining 15-of-32 threes over his past five games. In the three contests versus the Clippers this season, Carter has 12.3 PPG (45% FG) and 4.3 APG.

Los Angeles once again showed up as the best offensive team in the NBA with a 112-point performance against the Suns on Wednesday night, bringing its league-leading average to 107.6 PPG while making 47.5% of its field goals (3rd in NBA) for the season. The Clippers have scored 113.3 PPG over their four-game winning streak with all four of the contests being played away from home. The defense has been quite solid as well this season, allowing their opposition to score a pedestrian 100.5 PPG (14th in league). PG Chris Paul (19.0 PPG, 10.9 APG, 2.6 SPG) has had four straight games of at least 20 points, nine assists and three steals coming into this contest, and is once again leading the league in steals. He has played in 28 career games against the Mavericks, scoring 22.1 PPG (52% FG) while dishing out 8.9 APG, grabbing 5.0 RPG and getting 2.5 SPG. PF Blake Griffin (24.0 PPG, 9.6 RPG) returned to the court on Wednesday night after a one-game absence due to a back injury and looked great while scoring 23 points on 7-of-15 shooting. The Clippers should count their blessings that he will be able to play in this game, as he has averaged 22.0 PPG (47% FG), 11.7 RPG and 5.7 APG in three games against Dallas this season. C DeAndre Jordan (10.3 PPG, 13.8 RPG, 2.4 BPG) scored just four points on Wednesday night while grabbing 11 rebounds, his 21st straight game getting double-digit rebounds. He is a big part of the reason the Clippers have won the first three games of this season series, as he has dropped 16.0 PPG (72% FG), grabbed 15.3 RPG and blocked 1.7 shots per game.