One of the most anticipated games on the early NBA calendar will be Kevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors hosting his former team, the Oklahoma City Thunder. Durant nearly helped OKC to a playoff upset of Golden State last season and then joined them in free agency.
Golden State will be favored in this one as Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green make up one of the most talented quartets of all-time, but it’s going to be a treat to watch Russell Westbrook. He has been a one-man wrecking crew and will undoubtedly try his hardest to lead his team to an upset win.
At 10:30 p.m. ET, tune into TNT for live television coverage of this NCAA basketball game on Thursday, November 3, 2016, at Oracle Arena. We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Thursday schedule.
Odds Analysis
Oklahoma City won its first three games of the season, albeit not in the most impressive fashion. The Thunder is 1-2 against the spread this season and didn’t cover in its first road game against the 76ers.
The Warriors have been even worse, failing to cover in all three of their games despite a 2-1 start. Expectations are super high for this team, but it’s not a huge surprise to see some close games early as Durant, a superstar, gets added to the offense and the team figures out its rhythm.
Player To Watch
The Warriors have some of the best players in the NBA and still all the eyes will be on Westbrook. The Thunder point guard has already checked in with some ridiculous games this season and is averaging an eye-popping 38.7 points, 12.3 rebounds and 11.7 assists per game.
He has a pair of triple-doubles and is dominating games all by himself to help the Thunder to an undefeated start. There are real questions about the supporting cast now that Durant is off to Oakland but Westbrook has thus far overcome those limitations to put up huge numbers and lead the team to victories.
There are few players that mean as much to their team as Westbrook, and he is going to do everything in his power to shock Golden State in this showdown.
Revenge Angle
The Warriors have a ton more talent, but don’t underestimate how badly the Thunder want to win this game. There are a lot of players back from last year’s Western Conference Finals team and they felt like they would have been on the short list of contenders once again this season if Durant stuck around.
Instead, he went to Golden State to further cement the Warriors’ status as title favorites. Golden State’s talent is awesome and by the time of the end of the season rolls around it will likely be several games ahead of the Thunder.
However, anything can happen in one game, and Oklahoma City will give its best shot at pulling off the upset.
Free NBA ATS Picks
It would be easy to see Golden State’s early struggles, Oklahoma City’s undefeated start and Westbrook’s determination and choose the Thunder to cover. It is going to get a handful of points in this one as the inferior team on the road, so it’s certainly enticing.
However, this could be a coming out party for the Warriors. Don’t underestimate how much Durant wants to prove he made the right decision. He is averaging 31.3 points and 10.7 rebounds per game early on and should really be a matchup problem for Oklahoma City.
Westbrook may actually try to do too much in this game, which would lead to ill-advised shots. Durant is more patient and will be OK with passing the ball around to the bevy of other playmakers.
While it would make a great story for the Thunder to pull the upset, talent will win out in this one. Take the Warriors to shake off their early-season funk and pull away for the win.
NBA Odds: Warriors 115, Thunder 105
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