Blazers vs. Warriors Game 1 Pick
Can the Golden State Warriors cruise to an easy win at home when they host Game 1 of their series against the Portland Trail Blazers today at 3:30PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, the Warriors are favored at home, as they are getting odds of -14.5 points against the Blazers. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 220 points. The Warriors won all four meetings with the Blazers this season, but Portland covered the spread in the final two meetings.
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The Warriors were playing some of their best basketball toward the end of the season, winning 15 of their last 16 games to get to 67-15 on the year and earn the No. 1 seed in the West once again. Despite their high win total, the Warriors were just 40-39-3 against the spread due to a lot of lofty spreads. On the season, GS averaged 115.9 points per game on offense while allowing 104.3 on defense. At home, the Warriors put up 118.8 per game while allowing just 102.9. Stephen Curry led the team in scoring with 25.3 points per game while Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson also each average over 20 points per contest.
Portland won three of its last four games to secure the final seed in the West at 41-41. The Blazers were just 40-42 against the spread, though. The team averaged 107.9 points per game on offense this season while allowing 108.5 on defense. In road games, the Blazers put up 106 while allowing 110. Damian Lillard had a great season, averaging 27 points and 5.9 assists per game to lead the Blazers. CJ McCollum adds 23 points per game, but he is listed as questionable tonight due to a hand injury.
The Warriors are finally back to being a full unit now that Durant is healthy and games mean something again for them. Their offense should continue to pile up points quickly, especially against this Portland team that wasn’t among the best defensively in the NBA. Lillard could have a big game, but he doesn’t have the supporting cast he needs to play competitively in this series, especially in games at Golden State.
NBA DAILY PREDICTION: GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS -14.5