NBA Playoff Odds: Warriors Face Elimination, Are Home Chalk Vs. Thunder
The Golden State Warriors will be desperate for a win to stave off elimination from the NBA playoffs when they welcome the Oklahoma City Thunder to town Thursday night for Game 5 of the Western Conference finals as 7-point betting favorites at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Golden State was pushed to the brink with its second consecutive blowout loss to Oklahoma City on Tuesday, dropping a 118-94 decision in Game 4 to fall behind 3-1 in the series heading into Thursday night’s Thunder vs. Warriors betting matchup at Oracle Arena.
After falling 133-105 in Game 3, the defending champion Warriors now have lost two consecutive playoff games for the first time since Games 2 and 3 of last year’s NBA Finals clash with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and they have suffered defeats by double-digit margins in three of their past seven contests, according to the OddsShark NBA Database.
Of particular concern to the Warriors are Stephen Curry’s struggles over the past two games.
Curry was the unanimous choice as this year’s NBA MVP and set the new standard with a stunning 402 3-pointers made during the regular season. But he was largely contained in the Warriors’ two losses in Oklahoma City, going a combined 5-for-21 from beyond the arc while hitting just 35 percent from the field.
That has directly impacted the Warriors’ offense, which is averaging just 104.75 points per game in this series after averaging an NBA-leading 114.9 during the regular season, and contributed to their steep drop to +300 on the NBA futures after being perched as favorites since claiming last year’s championship.
For the Thunder, a victory over Golden State would clinch their first NBA Finals berth since 2012 and give them a shot at their first league championship since 1979, when the franchise was based in Seattle.
Oklahoma City also has reversed a dismal 1-6 straight-up record against Golden State since the beginning of last season, and despite entering Game 5 as underdogs, the Thunder have moved to strong -250 chalk on the NBA series prices.
Over in the Eastern Conference finals, the Cavaliers dominated in a 116-78 win over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday to take a 3-2 series lead and secure their position atop the NBA championship odds.
Game 6 is scheduled for Friday in Toronto, where the Raptors are unbeaten in four against the Cavaliers. Toronto also is a perfect 10-0 SU this season immediately following a road loss.
Thumbnail photo via Mark D. Smith/USA TODAY Sports Images
