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The Golden State Warriors will take on the Phoenix Suns tonight at Chase Center.
The Warriors (1-2, 0-1 home) had a horrific start to the season, getting blown out by the Clippers and the Thunder in the first two games, playing atrocious basketball. Having lost a number of important pieces in the Summer, and dealing with a small injury crisis, the Warriors looked like the worst team in the NBA. They seemed to have just three NBA level players in Curry, Russell and Green, with a bunch of G leaguers around them. However, the Warriors bounced back in style two nights ago with a blowout of their own in New Orleans against the Pelicans, showing they still have that Championship DNA which earned them 5 trips to the finals in the last five years.
The Suns (2-2, 0-1 away) made some decent moves over the Summer, particularly bringing in Ricky Rubio, so they are hoping to finally get out of the bottom of the Western Conference. Indeed, Phoenix has been decent in the first 4 games, beating the Kings and the Clippers, while losing to the Nuggets and the Jazz – both times by a single point! They will fancy their chances to get a win at Golden State, something they couldn`t even dream about in the previous years (although they did get one win last year after 18 consecutive losses).
Bet on Warriors v Suns and get your 100% (100 Eur) welcome bonus at 1XBet now!Team news & injury report: The Warriors will continue to be without Thompson, Looney and Smailagic, while Evans is a fresh injury. On the bright side, they will get a huge boost from the return of Cauley-Stein. Burks is also likely to make his Warriors debut. The Suns will miss star center Ayton, who has been suspended for 25 games, but they are not dealing with any other meaningful issues.
The Suns have actually played better basketball than the Warriors in the first week of the season, but Golden State showed their character with their backs against the wall on Monday in New Orleans. The Pelicans weren`t the greatest opponent and the Warriors still have work to do, particularly defensively, but the team is moving in the right direction. It was a statement game from them.
The return of Cauley Stein will be a massive boost for Golden State, as they suffered big time with not having a big and a rim protector in the first three games. He is probably the 4th best player on the team in the current circumstances, and will give their game a whole new dimension in the minutes he will play.
The Suns are due a bad game after their good start, as they remain one of the worst teams in the conference. This is a perfect opportunity for the Warriors to get another win under their belt and silence the critics.
Look for Steph Curry to have a big night, after being average for his standards in his first three games, and if that happens, it`s hard to believe the Warriors could lose. With him leading the way, beating the Suns should be an accessible task.
With a chip on their shoulder from all the criticism, the Warriors look set to take care of Phoenix at Chase Center, claiming their first win in the new arena. The -5 handicap is tempting, but I`d rather go with extra safety here, so I will only take the tiny -1,5 point handicap. Of course, you can take the straight win just as well. My tip will be Warriors -1,5. Prediction: Golden State Warriors – Phoenix Suns 122 – 112.
Pick: Warriors -1,5
Odds: 1.57 @ Unibet
Stake: 10
Possible profit: 5.70
Event date: 31 October
