NBA Odds - Warriors at Pelicans Game Preview

The Golden State Warriors are going to be out for revenge. They were in front of the Houston Rockets almost the entire way, but the Rockets got hot from deep late and were able to push by Golden State and stun the defending champions 122-121. Golden State has had two days to stew and think about the loss, and there’s no doubt that they are ready to put it out of their heads. The New Orleans Pelicans are the unlucky team that has to deal with a ticked off Golden State squad.

Don’t miss the hardwood action from the Smoothie King Center at 9:30 p.m. ET on Friday, October 20, 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 Friday schedule.

Odds Analysis

Neither the Warriors or the Pelicans were able to carry in their opening night games. Golden State was a 9.5-point favorite against Houston and lost outright, while New Orleans could only muster 57 points in the final three quarters of a double-digit loss on the road against Memphis.

Golden State won all four meetings between these two teams last season. New Orleans was able to keep it within 10 or less points in three of the four games though, with the only blowout loss being at the end of the season when the Pelicans had nothing to play for.

Matchup to Watch

For whatever reason, the pairing of Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins didn’t work last season. Everyone hailed the Pelicans for zigging while everyone else was zagging when they acquired Cousins from the Sacramento Kings. Almost every other team in the league was taking smaller, quicker guys and playing small ball, but the Pelicans went the other direction by bringing in another talented big man.

That failed to pay off last year, but there is still optimism that it can work. In their season-opening loss to Memphis, the frontcourt of Davis, Cousins, and Dante Cunningham combined to haul in 37 rebounds and there are few teams that can handle their size and strength.

The one thing that Golden State does lack is size, especially if Draymond Green doesn’t play. The Warriors rely on Kevin Durant and Green to do the bulk of the work down low when they need a low-post presence. However, Green left the season opener with a knee sprain and may or may not play in this game.

Key Stat

The Warriors should be the most efficient three-point shooting team in the NBA this season. Despite an off night from Steph Curry in the opener, Golden State sank 16 of 30 three-pointers as new addition Nick Young shined. He fit right in with the team, knocking down six of his seven opportunities from range and should get plenty of open looks all year long with a team as talented as the Warriors.

It will be tough for New Orleans to match up against Golden State on the perimeter. Virtually no team in the NBA can stop a team with this many shooters that have unlimited range, and New Orleans knows that its best bet might just be to pack it in and hope for an off night and clean up on the boards.

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Steve Kerr seemed really disappointed with his team after the loss to Houston. He subtly called out the team for not having the conditioning needed to win in the fourth quarter in the hopes of having them ready for this one. Kerr is a master motivator with his finger on the pulse of this team and knows what strings to pull. This one won’t be close. Golden State will come out strong from start to finish here and run away from the Pelicans in a laugher.

NBA Odds: Warriors 125 – Pelicans 103

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