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The Warriors were experiencing a championship hangover, which is the only way to explain their sluggish start to the season. But the Dubs found their groove during a recent road trip, blowing out three teams by scoring an average of over 126 points per game and looking like the team we all expected them to be. The Minnesota Timberwolves made some roster moves during the offseason in an attempt to end their long playoff drought and their hot start has them in first place in the Northwest Division.
Don’t miss the hardwood action from Oracle Arena at 10:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, November 8, 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 Wolves closed out the week on a high note and enter their showdown with the Warriors riding a five-game winning streak that’s catapulted them to the top of the Northwest while going 4-0-1 ATS in that span. They’ve also stepped up on the defensive end, holding their last three opponents to fewer than 100 points while cashing the under in all three games.
It will be a chore for Tom Thibodeau’s defense to quiet the Warriors, who scored at least 112 points in each game of a three-game road trip while going 3-0 SU and ATS. Surprisingly, the Dubs split their first four home games early in the year and are 0-4 ATS in those games. They’ve been a double-digit favorite in each of the last three at Oracle and will be pushing that again on Wednesday.
Key Stat
120.7 - The Warriors have a collection of the most gifted offensive players in the game and they’re clicking again. The Dubs have scored at least 120 points in six of their first 10 games while reaching the century mark in each game. They lead the NBA in scoring with a ridiculous average of over 120 points per game and their big three all average over 20 points per outing.
Of course you can’t score that many points without shooting the ball and the Warriors once again lead the league in field goal and three-point percentage. Kevin Durant shoots a blistering 54.2 percent from the floor and Klay Thompson isn’t far behind at 52.8. Steph Curry has the lowest field goal percentage of the five starters at 49.7, but he leads the team and ranks seventh in the league with nearly 27 points per game. The Dubs routed the Clippers to open their recent road trip and scored a total of 380 points in the three games.
Player to Watch
The Wolves added Jimmy Butler and Jeff Teague in the offseason to bolster their roster, but they will go only as far as Karl-Anthony Towns will take them. KAT is the biggest piece of the puzzle because he can do more than any other player on the roster. He leads the team in scoring and rebounding while shooting 55 percent from the field. And he’s also counted on as being a defensive stopper.
Towns was criticized for his effort, particularly on the defensive end earlier in the season, but he responded in a big way. He started the five-game winning streak by scoring 33 points with 19 rebounds against the Thunder, adding four blocks to his stat line. He’s blocked 13 shots with at least a pair in each game during the streak and the Wolves haven’t allowed more than 100 points in any of their last three outings.
Free NBA ATS Picks
When the Warriors get on a roll like they’re on it’s hard to see them losing a game. They’re playing at a higher level offensively and lead the NBA in scoring and shooting. The problem has been on the other end of the floor where the Dubs are near the bottom in points allowed. The defensive intensity just hasn’t been there and the Wolves have some weapons that could make this game interesting. Towns, Butler, Andrew Wiggins and Jeff Teague are part of a good first five and they’re buying into the system, which has helped them produce five consecutive victories.
The Warriors haven’t lost many games over the past two seasons, but the Wolves have been able to upset them once in each campaign while hanging close in the others. This time around the Wolves have a better roster and will make this a game, but the Dubs won’t take them for granted after dropping two of the past five meetings.
NBA Odds: Warriors 112, Wolves 107
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