The NBA is back and the Golden State Warriors are hoping a return to their championship form follows. They won’t have Klay Thompson in the lineup at the start of the new season, but they will have familiar faces in Steph Curry and Draymond Green, holdovers from the five straight NBA Finals appearance and three title winning teams from a few years ago. And expectations have soared with the Dubs among the favorites to win it all. The Warriors open the home portion of their schedule on Thursday against Pacific Division rival Los Angeles Clippers, who remain a big question in the Western Conference without former Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard.
The contest between the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors takes place at 10 p.m. ET on Thursday, October 21, 2021, from Chase Center in San Francisco, CA and will air live on TNT. BookMaker.eu will have odds for every game on the Thursday NBA schedule.
NBA Opening Lines at BookMaker.eu
Los Angeles Clippers (Check Back Later)
Golden State Warriors (Check Back Later)
Over/Under (Check Back Later)
Odds Analysis
The Warriors were the odd team out last season losing two play-in games failing to advance to the final eight. What made the finish even more disappointing was that they won their final six regular season games and eight of nine to finish at 39-33. They were tough to beat at home going 25-11 inside Chase Center, the fourth-best home record in the Western Conference. While the Dubs will have a game under their belt following Tuesday’s opener against the Lakers, this will be the Clips’ opener. And for a team with plenty of new faces they’ll need time to come together. They did beat the Warriors twice in three meetings last season, including a road cover in early January.
Los Angeles Clippers
With Leonard possibly missing the entire season with a knee injury sustained in last season’s playoffs, the Clippers need someone to step up alongside Paul George. The club is coming off a historic season where it played in its first conference championship, but the loss of Kawhi cost them a chance at playing for a title. The club is hoping Reggie Jackson can be that guy. Jackson had a standout postseason averaging over 17 points helping LA to an upset of top-seed Utah in the second round. The addition of Eric Bledsoe will also help the offensive attack.
The burden of carrying the team will fall on George, who picked up his game in the playoffs without Leonard. And there’s a good chance George thrives as the alpha, much like he did with the Pacers a few years ago leading them to the East finals. The ceiling has been lowered for the Clips with Leonard out of the picture and the overall depth not as strong. And it’s going to take time for the team to jell with plenty of newcomers.
Golden State Warriors
There is a vibe around the Warriors that hasn’t been there since their championship runs from a few years ago. They made a run to the playoffs last season and things appear to be even better this year. Part of that excitement has to do with the expected return of Thompson, who missed the last two seasons with knee and Achilles injuries. The problem is that he’s not expected to be ready until January and the Warriors have a slate of games until then. They may compete for a top four spot in the tough conference, but losing games early in the year will put them in a hole they may not be able to get out of.
If the preseason is any indication the Warriors look like they can run any team off the court. As we all know it isn’t and their perfect record in exhibition games means nothing once the season starts. They do have a good mix of young players and veterans and they are always a threat with Curry knocking down shots. Last season’s scoring leader is at the top of his game according to Steve Kerr. “He’s been building up perfectly from before camp started to all of the training over the summer to now,” the coach said.
NBA Odds Pick
The Clippers won five of the previous six meetings going 4-2 ATS in that span. However, the teams are going in different directions at the start of the season. We don’t know what to expect from the Clips without Kawhi Leonard and a few new faces in the lineup means they likely need time to figure things out. Few teams have an answer for Curry and I don’t think the Clips come up with one on Thursday. The Dubs are going to be favored in this matchup and like them to get the cover at home.
NBA Odds Prediction: Warriors 118, Clippers 108
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