The matchup of the night in the NBA on Tuesday takes place in Oklahoma City, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder face Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors.
Even with Jalen Williams (wrist) out of the lineup to begin the season, the Thunder rank No. 1 in the NBA in net rating and have a 10-1 record. They erased a double-digit first-half deficit on Sunday to take down the Memphis Grizzlies in Memphis.
Golden State also played on Sunday, getting back over .500 with a win over the Indiana Pacers. The Warriors have been up and down this season, but they dominated the Pacers 114-83 without Curry on Sunday.
Curry (illness) is not listed on the injury report for Tuesday night’s matchup in OKC.
Let’s take a look at the odds, a player prop to bet and my prediction for this Western Conference showdown.
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
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Moneyline
Total
Warriors Injury Report
Thunder Injury Report
Thunder Best NBA Prop Bet
Earlier today, I shared in SI Betting’s best NBA props column why Holmgren is worth a look against Golden State:
Oklahoma City Thunder star Chet Holmgren could be in line for a big game on the boards on Tuesday against the Golden State Warriors, who rank 19th in the NBA in rebounding percentage this season.
Chet is averaging 8.6 rebounds per game, but the Thunder forward has cleared this prop in just three of his seven games this season, landing on exactly seven boards three times.
I think this is a spot to back him, as the Warriors don’t always play a traditional center, and they have struggled against Holmgren in the past, allowing eight or more boards to him in three of his last five games.
This is a bounce-back spot for Holmgren after a few games in a row falling short of this number.
Even with Curry back in the lineup, I believe the UNDER is the play between these two teams on Tuesday night.
This season, the Warriors are sixth in defensive rating while the Thunder are first, and these teams are allowing a combined 122.4 points per game, as the Thunder also have the No. 1 scoring defense.
Even with all the talent it has on the offensive side of the ball, the Warriors are just 20th in offensive rating, and they have failed to reach 120 points in a game since their fourth game of the season against the Memphis Grizzlies.
OKC’s defense has been elite for multiple seasons now, and the Thunder have slowed the game down this season, ranking 22nd in the league in pace. I think this ends up being a slugfest between two playoff contenders in the West.
Pick: UNDER 228.5 (-112 at DraftKings)
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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Find Peter Dewey’s NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.
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