Golden State’s defense stuck out in this one, as it was able to lock down in the half court to force the Jazz into a lot of contested shots. The Warriors got stellar performances from Stephen Curry and Draymond Green and the outcome was never really in doubt.
Golden State will be a double-digit favorite once again in Game 2, and the only real drama will be whether or not Utah can come up with another backdoor cover.
This war on the floor will go down Thursday, May 4, 2017, at 10:30 p.m. ET at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. The game will be televised live on ESPN.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Thursday schedule.
NBA Odds
The Warriors were 13-point favorites and led by more than that for much of the fourth quarter, but the Jazz used some late garbage points to get the cover in the Warriors’ 104-96 win. The “under” was the correct play as the scoring total was set at 205. While Golden State has a potent offense, Utah slows the game down, so the total should be relatively low the whole way.
Golden State improved to 72-15 straight up on the year and is now 43-40-4 against the spread. The Warriors are 22-19-3 against the spread at home this season and they are 41-39-4 against the spread.
Utah is 55-35 straight up and 43-44-3 against the spread. The Jazz has played in 46 road games on the season and covered in half of them. Utah has covered in three of its past four road games dating back to the series against the Clippers. The Jazz are 14-17 against the spread as the underdog this season.
Last Time Out
Curry had 22 points, seven rebounds and five assists and hit 7-of-11 shots from the field as the Warriors jumped out to an early lead and never let it go. Golden State stretched its lead to 12 at the half, and while Utah briefly climbed to within seven points early in the third quarter, the Warriors answered quickly with a barrage of three-pointers.
Green was really good, finishing with 17 points, eight rebounds and six assists while playing his customary fantastic defense. The Jazz didn’t get a good game from Gordon Hayward, who shot only 4-of-15 from the field and finished with 12 points. Utah is going to have trouble scoring enough to keep up in this series, and it’s paramount for Hayward to carry the bulk of that load.
Injury Report
Curry tweaked his ankle on a lay-up in the third quarter. He returned to the game for a few minutes after that, but he was quickly taken out as the Warriors had the outcome in hand.
Keep an eye on his health, because a gimpy Curry would obviously have an effect on Game 2. Curry seems likely to play, and even if he is slowed a bit, Golden State will still be favored. However, his availability could have a slight effect on the spread.
Utah point guard George Hill will do his best to stick with Curry in this series, but he couldn’t do so in the first game and could be hard-pressed to contain him moving forward unless the ankle injury is more serious than it appears.
Free NBA ATS Pick
Maybe the Jazz will have a little hope at home, but they are just totally outclassed on the road. The Warriors have four of the best five players in this series and are superior on both sides of the court.
Utah is going to have to shoot the lights out in order to keep Game 2 close. More likely, the Warriors will again gain control by the third quarter and have a double-digit lead in the fourth. The question will be if the Jazz can squeeze out another cover in the final minutes.
The first game was an easy Golden State win, and it’s not going to change in this one. Expect the Warriors to roll to the win while covering the spread to move its postseason winning streak to six consecutive games.
NBA Odds: Warriors 109, Jazz 93
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