Golden State Hosts Oklahoma City
BetUS NBA Basketball Betting Odds: GOLDEN STATE -5, Total 223.5
Here are some of the NBA pro basketball sports betting trends as they relate to this matchup:
* OKC has won three of its last five games SU
* OKC has lost 10 of its last 15 games SU * OKC has covered 13 of its last 16 games
* OKC has lost 10 of its last 11 road games SU
* OKC has covered ten of its last 12 road games
* GS has lost six of its last nine games SU
* GS has covered five of its last seven games
* GS has played four of its last five games OVER the total
* GS has won five of its last seven home games SU
* GS has covered six of its last seven home games
* GS has played four of its last six home games OVER the total
Also….
* GS has won five of the last seven meetings SU
* GS has covered 11 of the last 15 meetings
* Six of the last seven meetings have gone UNDER the total
* GS has won five of the last six meetings SU as the home team
* Seven of the last eight meetings in Oakland have gone UNDER the total
* GS has made more three-pointers in five of the last six meetings
These teams are a little bit alike in that they have not yet mastered the fine art of defending the other team, but the Warriors like to play at a faster pace, as they have averaged 107 points per game. As such, they made a perfect acquisition when they dealt with the Knicks to get Jamal Crawford, who doesn’t defend, but has the ability to put up serious numbers, like 31 points a game over his last four, while playing fifty minutes a game. That’s right; FIFTY minutes a game, including a lot of overtime minutes.
Don Nelson is now using another non-defender, Corey Maggette, off the bench and Maggette has responded, averaging 22 points in the games he has NOT started since January 1.
Elsewhere, Kelenna Azubuike has made ten three-pointers in the last four games and Stephen Jackson has come back to action. The bad news is that second-year man C.J. Watson has toe inflammation and has missed the past couple of games. Watson scored 26 points, his career high, in his last game against Sacramento. Mario Balinelli is still out, and Monta Ellis, who is still meeting with management regarding the penalty he’ll pay for his moped accident (as if his injury inactivity wasn’t enough), is not ready to come back yet.
Golden State has averaged 123 points a game in winning three of their last four. All four of those games have been at home. As far as the pointspread is concerned, Oklahoma City has been red-hot. The Thunder has covered 13 of its last 16 as the visitor, and if you can believe it, they have actually won three of their last five games, including a 21-point win over Utah and a ten-point victory over Detroit. Of course, those games were at the Ford Center, as was the previous meeting between these two, a 107-100 Oklahoma City win in which Kevin Durant and Jeff Green combined for 51 points. Durant has been on a roll, averaging 26.5 ppg in his last six.
You can see signs of life for the Warriors at the Oracle Arena, but Oklahoma City has consistently been playing hard for their interim coach, Scott Brooks. Sam Presti, the team’s general manager, is said to be leaning toward removing the “interim” designation from Brooks’ title after the season is over. “”We are pleased with the job that Scott has done. He has shown a great commitment to the Thunder and has brought energy to the task at hand, “Presti said.
You can be sure Oklahoma City is going to be giving a big effort here. We are mindful of laying too many points with Golden State, so we’re on the underdog Thunder in the BetUS Sportsbook NBA pro basketball betting odds.
