Warriors – Thunder

Golden State OKC season opener prediction

With the new NBA season set to get underway on Tuesday night, the reigning two time champions Golden State Warriors will host a Westbrook-less Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Warriors are widely expected to three-peat this year, as they remain the best team in basketball and are head and shoulders above almost everyone else. Golden State will not have its blockbuster signing, DeMarcus Cousins, available for most of the regular season, but even so they should be able to win about 65 games. They had a shaky regular season last year (for their standards) and failed to secure the 1st seed, which almost cost them in the Western Conference finals. This year it looks like the Warriors don`t want to repeat that scenario, and the key players have been very sharp and engaged in the preseason – looking motivated and ready to go.

The Thunder (expected to be somewhere around the 3-5 seed in the West) managed to resign Paul George in the off season, which was a huge deal for them. They lost Carmelo Anthony, but added Dennis Schroeder, and they should get better after this switch – given that Carmelo had no positive impact last year. In fact, he was often an impediment for the team. Unfortunately for the Thunder they will kickstart their season without their main man Russell Westbrook, who is not yet ready after having minor surgical work done on his knee.

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Team news: Cousins will miss most of the regular season for the Warriors, but the Dubs knew that when they signed him. Shaun Livingston is questionable and the Dubs might decide to let him rest for the opener. The Thunder will miss Wesbtrook and Roberson (a long term absentee), but they might also miss Steven Adams, who is questionable.

The Warriors have lost both their openers in their last two years (vs Spurs and Rockets), so chances are they will not want a repeat of that. It`s an extra incentive for the Dubs to focus, so that is always a good thing.

OKC will come into this match shorthanded and missing Westbrook will be massive. It`s not just that they will be without their best player, but Westbrook is also the engine of the team and everything the Thunder do revolves around his game. So they won`t just miss his quality taken in a void, but rather his absence will affect every aspect of the team`s gameplan. That will be the biggest problem of all for OKC. They can`t be the same team without Russ, and in the last few weeks they had to change and adjust the entire way they play.

If Adams misses than the Thunder will really be decimated, but even if he plays, Westbrook’s absence should be enough to allow Golden State to run away with this.

The Thunder are not even a playoff team without Westbrook, and with Golden State motivated to avoid another loss in a season opener, chances are we will see a big win for the Dubs here. Look for the Warriors to dominate and go on a couple of runs, and Steph Curry could have a massive night without Westbrook to guard him – especially as Steph looked sharp and hungry during the preseason.

My tip is Golden State to cover the 12.5 point handicap. Prediction: Golden State Warriors – OKC Thunder 123 – 102.

Pick: Warriors -12.5
Odds: 1.96 @ 1xBet
Stake: 8
Possible profit: 7.68
Event date: 17 October

About Rostick

Born in '88. Running betting tips websites since 2007. Launched Betdistrict in 2013. Worked as a bookie for a year to spy on the other side. Rugby Union and NBA expert. Editor info & statistics.

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