The Golden State Warriors have been on the cold side for weeks in the NBA. On Friday, they will face the OKC Thunder in a day of NBA action where there is a packed schedule (8:00 PM ET). The Thunder, who will host the game, are favored at -3.5 (bet365). My Warriors vs Thunder prediction is that OKC will cover that spread with at least a four-point victory.
Golden State vs OKC Prediction: Latest NBA Headlines
It's hard to be in love with betting lines that support Golden State these days. The team did get off to a hot start but over the last five weeks, the Warriors have struggled. They've gone just 5-10 since November 5th with their recent form summarized in the bullet points below.
Golden State Warriors: Recent Form Alert
Formerly: 5 - 1 heading into Nov 5th, 2023
Currently: 10 - 11 (overall)
Recent form: 5 - 10 since Nov 5th, 2023
Recent winning rate: .333
The Warriors last played on Wednesday, a game that they hosted against the Portland Trail Blazers. The way things have gone with Portland this season, you can't be too impressed with a team that only beats them by four. However, GS only managed a 110-106 home-court victory in the game.
The Warriors do enter Friday with a very good depth chart for injuries. GS has nothing noted on their ESPN team page as of very early on Friday morning. There are not likely to be any negative updates as the team did not play on Thursday. However, bettors thinking of backing the Warriors will want to look for updates on the team.
Double-check for playing status updates with Golden State (02:15 ET time of writing):: Team's Depth Chart
OKC is 13-7 overall this season. They lost their most recent game on Wednesday, a 110-101 decision to the Houston Rockets. Houston remains a very tough team to beat in -- in their home games. Heading into Friday, OKC also has a clear depth chart, meaning they don't have any documented injuries among their active roster. Without any negative updates, both of these teams appear to be able to send out high-quality first and second lines.
Double-check for playing status updates with OKC (02:15 ET time of writing):: Team's Depth Chart
Warriors vs Thunder Prediction: Betting Tips
One interesting stat heading into this game is that OKC has the best turnover differential in the NBA. They are -3.0 from that perspective, meaning on average they turn the ball over three times fewer per game than their opponents. GS, conversely, is pretty sloppy from that perspective. That could make a big difference as you would expect OKC to have the extra shots in this game.
The spread on OKC looks small at just -3.5 (-110) (bet365). You could be worried about GS being in good game shape here but that's offset by OKC being in good shape as well. If this game ends up tight, as the spread suggests, then you have to like the youth on OKC for the tail end of the game. My recommendation is to go with the Thunder to cover this one at -3.5 (-110) with the expectation that the fourth quarter will go OKC's way if the game is tight.
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