Week 2 of the 2021-22 NBA season goes on Tuesday, October 26, with five games around the league, so we have prepared the best Warriors vs. Thunder betting pick and odds, as Golden State heads to Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.
The Warriors are listed as firm 9-point favorites on Bookmaker. OKC is a +320 moneyline dog with a total of 224.0 points. Last season, the Dubs swept a three-game series against the Thunder while going perfect against the spread.
Golden State hopes to extend its unbeaten run
The Golden State Warriors (3-0; 2-1 ATS) are off to a flying start of the new season. After a surprising 121-114 road victory over the Lakers in the opener, the Dubs failed to cover a 4.5-point spread in a 115-113 home win to the Clippers, but they beat the Kings 119-107 as 3-point road favorites this past Sunday.
Steph Curry leads the way for the Warriors with 31.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per game. He posted a triple-double against the Lakers while dropping 45 points and eight triples on the Clippers. In that 12-point victory at Sacramento, Curry became the first Warrior to reach 5,000 assists, finishing with 27 points, ten dimes, and seven rebounds.
The Warriors are playing at a fast pace, averaging 104.5 possessions per 48 minutes. They are shooting 39.3% from deep (6th in the NBA), and the Warriors will continue to lean heavily on Steph Curry as long as James Wiseman (knee) and Klay Thompson (Achilles) stay on the shelf.
OKC lost 12 of its last 13 games
The Oklahoma City Thunder fell to 0-3 straight up and ATS on the season following a 115-103 home loss to the Philadelphia 76ers last Sunday. It was another disappointing performance by the Thunder, who are now 1-12 SU and 3-10 ATS in the last 13 games overall dating back to the last regular season.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 29 points, six boards, and eight assists against the Sixers. Rookie Josh Giddey added 19 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and four steals, but the rest of the team didn’t help a lot. The Thunder went 8-for-31 from beyond the arc (25.8%) and surrendered 12 offensive rebounds.
OKC has made only 40.6% of its field goals (26th in the NBA) and 26.6% of its 3-pointers (28th) so far this season. The Thunder have yielded 115.3 points per contest (19th) on 47.1% shooting from the field (tied-22nd) and 38.1% from downtown (24th).
Trends:
Golden State:
- 9-2 ATS in the last 11 games overall
- 7-1 ATS in the last eight outings as favorites of nine or more points
- 5-0 ATS in the last five games against OKC
Oklahoma City:
- 1-8 ATS in the last nine games overall
- 0-7 ATS in the last seven outings as underdogs of nine or more points
- 1-4 ATS in the last five games against the Pacific Division
Golden State Warriors vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Pick
Last season, the Warriors had no mercy in three meetings with the Thunder. Just look at those scores — 136-97, 118-97, and 147-109. The Warriors have been excellent as big favorites lately, covering in their last five showings as favorites of nine or more points, while the Thunder have gone 0-7 ATS in their previous seven games when listed as dogs of nine or more points.
Golden State’s defense hasn’t impressed, though the Warriors are allowing just 7.7 offensive rebounds per contest. They should have enough firepower to cover a big spread, especially if Steph Curry stays hot.
Pick: Take Golden State -9.0 at -110
The Total:
While the Warriors prefer fast-paced basketball, the Thunder have averaged 98.9 possessions per 48 minutes through their first three games of the season. OKC’s defensive rating is the fourth-worst in the league (116.7 points allowed per 100 possessions), so I’m backing the over on the totals.
The Warriors are not a top-notch defensive team. They rank 23rd in the opponent effective field goal percentage (54.5%), while the Thunder are 26th (55.8%).
Pick: Go over 224.0 points at -110
