The Warriors currently lead the Spurs and the rest of the Western Conference in the standings and will be eager to bank a win against a tough conference foe. The Spurs are trying to close that gap and another win against the Warriors this weekend would be huge.
The absence of Kevin Durant will loom large, as the Warriors could very well be underdogs for the first time this season. Golden State could basically wrap up the best record in the NBA with a victory in this one, but the Spurs can make things interesting with a victory.
This war on the floor will go down Saturday, March 11, 2017, at 8:30 p.m. ET at AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. The game will be televised live on ABC.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Saturday schedule.
Odds Analysis
The Warriors are 52-12 straight up and 29-33-2 against the spread. Golden State has played in 34 road games but hasn’t performed too well, with a record of only 14-19-1 against the spread. The Warriors are the only team in the NBA who haven’t been the underdog on the year but could be getting points in this one.
The Spurs are 50-13 straight up and 33-29-1 against the spread. They have played in 28 home games on the season, covering in 14 of them. San Antonio is 29-27-1 against the spread as the favorite on the year.
Injury Report
The Warriors will again be without eight-time All-Star Durant, who suffered an MCL sprain last week and is expected to miss at least a month. In his first season as a Warrior, Durant is averaging a team-high 25.2 points and 8.2 rebounds.
The Warriors are so talented that they are one of the few teams in the league capable of sustaining a loss like this, but anytime you lose a superstar it’s significant. Golden State will look to Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green to hold things down in Durant’s absence.
The aforementioned trio was the driving force behind Golden State’s 2015 title and return to The Finals last season so no need to doubt their abilities. Still, Durant gives the Warriors an edge -- especially in tough games like this one against the Spurs -- that can’t be denied.
Key Stat
1.5. That’s how many games separate the Warriors and the Spurs in the Western Conference rankings right now.
The Spurs are capable of closing that gap in the final stretch of the regular season and will be looking to take full advantage of facing Golden State without Durant on Saturday. Kawhi Leonard is leading the way for San Antonio, averaging 26.3 points a game right now and the Spurs are putting up 106.6 points a game.
The Warriors lead the league with 117.5 points per game, but fell 129-100 in their first meeting against the Spurs back in October. With two teams stocked full of talented players on the floor, this one will be about good defense and getting stops.
Free NBA ATS Pick
The Warriors have hit a bit of a lull since losing Durant, but are still an extremely impressive group. However, the Spurs are just a touch inferior, and they have won nine in a row and get the home court advantage in this one.
This is going to be one of the most highly-anticipated games of the regular season. These are two of the favorites to win the NBA championship and this figures to be a highly competitive matchup.
Even though they are on the road, and even though Durant is on the sidelines, the choice is the Warriors because their offense is so good.
NBA Odds: Warriors 111, Spurs 108
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