The Golden State Warriors had grand expectations before the season started, and sometimes it’s hard to live up to such lofty heights. This team has done it and more, as it has the best record in the NBA and is scoring points at an obscene rate. The Warriors will aim to keep it rolling when they host the New York Knicks in a regular season matchup.
Golden State is playing at home and has a huge talent advantage, so there is no question it will be a heavy favorite in this showdown. The Knicks have played well of late but are giving up a lot of points this season and the Warriors could very well have a huge outing.
Don't miss the hardwood action from Oracle Arena at 10:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, December 15, 2016. Catch every moment of the game live on TNT.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Thursday schedule.
Odds Analysis
The Warriors are 21-4 straight up but only 12-12 against the spread since they are so often heavy favorites. Golden State is 6-5 against the spread at home this season and has been the favorite in every game.
The Knicks are 14-10 straight up and have gone 15-9 against the spread on the year. New York is 6-5 against the spread in away games this year. The Knicks have covered in every game as the favorite this season but are only 8-8 against the spread as the underdog.
Player to Watch
Carmelo Anthony – The best way for the Knicks to stick close to the Warriors is to get a big game from Anthony. The star forward is averaging 22.4 points per game this season while adding 6.1 rebounds per game.
Anthony doesn’t shoot a great percentage from the field but is able to get hot. This game will likely be played at a frenetic pace, and there will be enough shots for him to find a groove and put up some big numbers.
The Warriors have the clear talent advantage, so Anthony and others on New York need to step up if the team has any shot at pulling off the upset or at least covering the spread.
Key Stat
118. That’s the number of points this electric Golden State offense is averaging per game. The Warriors rank No. 1 in the NBA for points per game behind sharp shooters like Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson.
The trio has combined for 73 points a game, each averaging 20+ points a game. The offense scored a season-high 149 points against the Lakers on November 23rd and also put up 142 points against the Pacers on December 5th.
Durant is leading the way with 25.8 points per game while shooting 53.6 percent from the field and better than 40 percent from three-point range. Curry is adding 25.4 points per game and is shooting 48.1 percent from the field and 39.5 percent from three-point range.
Klay Thompson recently had a 60-point game and is averaging 21.8 points per game while hitting 47.2 percent of his shots from the field and 37.8 percent from downtown.
Free NBA ATS Pick
The Knicks currently sit in third place in the Eastern Conference, but they are closer to a middle of the pack team than an upper echelon one. Despite sitting four games over .500, New York has a negative-point differential, which may not bode well moving forward.
The Warriors, meanwhile, are an absolutely dominant outfit. The real test will come in the playoffs when they must battle against the likes of the San Antonio Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers, but there seems little doubt Golden State will finish with the best record in the NBA.
The Warriors should continue to keep their fine season rolling with a blowout home victory over the Knicks behind another scoring outburst from their cast of stars.
NBA Odds: Warriors 127, Knicks 109
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