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The Golden State Warriors have dealt with more injury problems at the beginning of this season than they have at any time during their previous three-year run to the NBA Finals, but it hasn’t affected them too terribly and it’ll likely make them a stronger team later in the year. And that’s not what the rest of the league wants to hear. With so many weapons it’s hard to stop the Warriors and they continue to roll, running away with the Pacific Division while hanging around the top of the Western Conference. The Dubs near the end of a season-long road trip with a visit to Charlotte on Wednesday.
Don’t miss the hardwood action from the Spectrum Center at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, December 6, 2017. Catch every moment of the game live on ESPN. We’ll have NBA opening odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Wednesday schedule.
Odds Analysis
The Warriors have been the favorite in every game this season and have faced a double-digit spread or close to it in every outing. Remarkably they are 11-13 ATS after covering the 10.5-point line against Miami. The Dubs broke a streak of five straight road cover losses the game prior in Orlando and are 5-7 ATS on the road. They’ll be facing a similar line when they take on the Hornets, who have lost three straight ATS but are a nice pick at home with a record of 7-3 SU and ATS at the Spectrum Center.
Injury Report
The Hornets are hopeful leading scorer Kemba Walker is able to return from a shoulder injury that forced him out of a few games last week. Walker was injured in a loss to the Spurs, but returned to that game and scored 18 points in a loss. He missed the next two, both losses, and the Hornets could have used his 22.3 points per game in those matchups. Charlotte lost on the road to Toronto and by five points at Miami to fall to 8-13 and further back in the Eastern Conference standings.
An All-Star for the first time last season, Walker was building on that campaign with similar or better numbers in every statistical category. He’s developed into the point guard the team needs and is averaging a season career-best 6.2 assists per game to go along with 22.3 points. His leadership on the floor was missed in two crucial road losses, but his return, along with the team’s return to North Carolina, could be the boost it needs to secure a few victories.
Schedule Situation
This will be the fifth of a season-long six-game road trip for the Warriors and it’s also their third game in four nights, though they did have an off-day prior to the meeting. Still, the road tends to wear on teams and that could be Charlotte’s break to make this game closer than it should be. The Hornets definitely don’t have the firepower to stick with the Dubs, but Golden State is feeling some fatigue after starting their trip in Los Angeles and playing a back-to-back at Miami and New Orleans before their stop in Charlotte.
The Dubs have been dealing with some minor injury issues as well. Steph Curry has played the past few games with a sore thumb that has been wrapped for protection. Kevin Durant missed a few games with an ankle injury but returned to the lineup for the start of the trip. They were without top reserve Andre Iguodala for two games on the trip, but even with the ailments, the Dubs have continued to play at a high level.
Free NBA ATS Picks
There is no reason why the Warriors should lose this game. Curry has adjusted to playing and shooting with a wrapped hand and dropped 30 in 30 minutes in a win at Miami. Durant also seems healed from his ankle issues and the Dubs rolled in a pair of dominant wins in Florida. Nearing the end of a long trip is likely the only thing that could save the Hornets and that won’t be enough.
Walker’s return to the lineup should help, and the Hornets are a different team when playing at home. Charlotte has a nice 7-3 home record and the combination should keep the game close – for a while. But the Dubs have been an exceptional third quarter team again and the Hornets don’t have the depth to keep up. I like the Dubs to take this one with another patented second half run, but the Hornets will use the homecourt edge to cover the spread.
NBA Odds: Warriors 117, Hornets 108
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