The Golden State Warriors haven’t faced a challenge through two rounds of the postseason, but that’s about to change. Golden State will be tested in the Western Conference Finals by the San Antonio Spurs.
The Warriors have an elite cast and may have an argument as one of the best teams of all-time if they can finish with the championship. The Spurs, though, have a solid roster and the best coach in the NBA. This is the Western Conference showdown everyone wanted and now it is here.
The Spurs hope star small forward Kawhi Leonard is healthy for this one, and his availability will be critical.
This war on the floor will go down Sunday, May 14, 2017, at 3:30 p.m. ET at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. 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 Sunday schedule.
NBA Odds
The Warriors are a big favorite in Game 1 at -10.5, which is a little surprising since San Antonio is such a strong opponent. However, with Leonard’s injury lingering and Golden State playing so well, the oddsmakers are confident in this line. The Spurs are +517 underdogs on the moneyline while Golden State is -720.
The series odds are even more stark in favor of the Warriors. They are -1400 favorites to advance to the NBA Finals while the Spurs are listed at +837 to pull the upset.
Golden State is 75-15 straight up and 45-41-4 against the spread. The Warriors are 22-20-3 against the spread at home this season and have gone 43-40-4 against the spread as the favorite.
The Spurs are 69-25 straight up and 48-44-2 against the spread. San Antonio has gone 25-20-2 against the spread on the road this season. The Spurs have only been the underdog in 10 games this season, covering in seven with one push.
Season Series
The teams played three times in the regular season, with the Spurs capturing two victories. They met in the regular season opener and it wasn’t much of a contest, as Leonard had 35 points and the Spurs cruised to a 129-100 on the road.
San Antonio won the second one on the year but that one didn’t resemble a true game against top teams. The Warriors were struggling at the time and coach Steve Kerr decided to rest all of his stars, which resulted in a lopsided 107-85 defeat.
Golden State picked up its lone win over the Spurs in late March, capturing a 110-98 victory. Stephen Curry had 29 points in that game to lead the way, and the Warriors hope that’s the game that is most indicative of how this series will go.
Injury Report
All eyes will be on Leonard, who needs to get healthy from a sprained ankle and play well in this series for the Spurs to have a shot at pulling the upset. The latest reports say he should play in Game 1 against Golden State.
He was injured in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Houston Rockets and didn’t play in overtime, but his teammates stepped up to grab the win.
He sat in Game 6 and most thought Houston would take care of business at home, but instead the rest of the team was great, rolling past the Rockets to clinch a berth in the conference finals. Leonard averaged 25.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in the regular season, as well as playing elite defense on the other side of the court.
Leonard has been even better in the postseason, and he will be needed on both sides of the floor against the Warriors.
Free NBA ATS Pick
Golden State made a mockery of the Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz in the first two rounds, sweeping both series easily. However, it’s about to get a lot harder. The spread is too high, even with Leonard’s ankle injury.
While Golden State has enough firepower to win Game 1, never underestimate the Spurs. A moneyline choice of the Spurs is a nice value, as is a double-digit spread. Ride San Antonio in this one and throughout the series if the odds remain this tilted.
NBA Odds: Warriors 108, Spurs 102
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