The Golden State Warriors are finishing up the season with a six-game homestand at Chase Center and are first matching up against the Oklahoma City Thunder. With that said, it’s time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Thunder – Warriors prediction and pick.
The Warriors went 1-1 in their last two games, which was also against the New Orlean Pelicans, for a record of 33-33 and the 9th seed in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, the Thunder have only won one game in their last ten games for a record of 21-45 and the 13th seed in the Western Conference.
Here’s how sportsbooks have set the opening Thunder-Warriors odds.
NBA Odds: Thunder-Warriors Odds
Oklahoma City Thunder +14.5 (-115)
Golden State Warriors -14.5 (-105)
Over 226.5 Points (-110)
Under 226.5 Points(-110)
Why The Thunder Could Cover The Spread
Injury Report: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (out), Mike Muscala (out), Aleksej Pokusevki (out), and Luguentz Dort (day-to-day).
The season for the Thunder is more or less over as their playoff hopes are gone and their stars, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Al Horford, are out for the remainder of the season.
Aside from those two, the highest scorer of the current active players is Dort at 14.1 points per game and then just three other players—Darius Bazley, Ty Jerome, and Theo Maledon—scoring double-digit points.
As a team, the Thunder are ranked as the absolute worst offensive team and are also the 9th worse defensive team in the entire association. The two keys for the Thunder to have a chance at covering the spread will be to find enough offensive production from their players and to try their best in forcing the ball out of Curry's hands or forcing tough shots from him.
Why The Warriors Could Cover The Spread
Injury Report: Kelly Oubre Jr. (out), Damion Lee (out), and Eric Paschall (out).
The Warriors surprisingly hold the 7th worse offensive rating but the 5th best defensive rating in the league.
Offensively, the Warriors are being led by Steph Curry who has been absolutely dominant this season for Coach Steve Kerr. Curry is currently averaging 31.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game while averaging nearly 50 percent from the field and 42.6 percent from behind the three-point line.
Curry’s impact offensively also goes way beyond his stat line. More than just an offensive threat, Curry is a playmaker meaning that his presence on the floor alone helps to free up his teammates and Curry’s vision allows him to find his teammate open for the shot.
With Curry on the floor, there is less pressure on Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green to handle the ball and control the offensive for the team. Still, the two have been very solid for Coach Kerr as Wiggins is the second-leading scorer for the Warriors at 18.3 points and Green is putting up the most assists on the team at 8.7 assists per game.
The key for the Warriors to cover the spread against the Thunder is to continue to play the way they have been and run the offense completely through Curry.
Final Thunder-Warriors Prediction & Pick
The Thunder are the worst offensive-rated team in the league and also in the bottom 10 for the best defensive rating. While the Warriors are a very solid offensive team with Curry and the 5th best defensive team in the association. With the way Curry has been shooting the ball as of late and the defense the Warriors have been playing, this Golden State team will have a very good chance to cover the spread on Thursday. That said, the Warriors should pick up a much-needed win to secure their spot in the play-in tournament in the Western Conference.
FINAL SCORE PREDICTION & PICK FOR THUNDER-WARRIORS: OKC 90, GSW 116 (GSW -14.5)
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