Warriors forward Draymond Green's temperament is nothing new. Besides his great defensive skills and basketball IQ, his NBA career has also been marked by several physical altercations with teammates and on the court. The latest incident occurred Thursday, November 14, when Green placed Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert in a chokehold. NBA officials did not look kindly to the unsportsmanlike conduct and suspended Draymond for 5 games. Draymond will start serving his suspension tonight (November 16) against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
This week, Thursday night features only two games, and the Western Conference clash between OKC and Golden State at Chase Center is one of the more exciting matchups. The visiting team Thunder is a 3-point favorite according to popular sports betting apps.
It is worth mentioning that 13 days ago, Golden State outscored the Thunder 141-139. However, things move fast in the NBA, and in the past couple of weeks, these teams have been on opposing trajectories, with OKC being on the rise. Let’s examine the best NBA props tonight for this second-season duel between the Warriors and Thunder.
The Warriors Have Four Consecutive Defeats
The absence of Draymond Green is just another in a series of problems for the Warriors, a team on a four-game losing streak. Tuesday’s 104-101 defeat to the Timberwolves equaled their season record to 6-6, after a great 6-2 start, the Warriors are entering a crisis period. One big reason for the bad results is point guard Stephen Curry's knee injury, which forced him to miss the Timberwolves game.
Curry will sit out tonight's OKC game, after which the right knee injury will be re-evaluated. It's on veteran Criss Paul to lead the team, and he can expect support from Dario Saric and rookie Brandin Podziemski. Both were productive on Tuesday night with 21 and 23 points respectively.
Golden State scores 112.9 points per contest, ranking 14th in the NBA while allowing 110.8 points per game. The Warriors are 51.9% efficient for 2-pointers and shoot for 34.8% efficiency from the three-point line.
OKC Thunder Is On The Rise
The Thunder has a 7-4 record and is riding a four-game winning streak. Their last win against the Spurs, a feared team because of the addition of Victor Wembanyama, which the OKC outscored them 123-87, signaled they will be a contender this season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remains the best player on the court for OKC, with 28 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and an impressive 7 steals.
“I think it was a great team effort, really keying in on the game plan and overall, just going out and executing," said Gilgeous-Alexander after the game.
The Thunder score on average 116.5 points per game with 55.9% efficiency from 2-points and 37.6% from beyond the arc, although they do not shoot three-pointers often. OKC allows 11.16 points a game.
Betting Prediction
The Warriors are justifiable as an underdog, and home-court advantage does not mean much without Draymond Green and Stephen Curry on the court. A moneyline bet on Thunder offers -142 odds, and the Warriors get +120 odds.
Most betting sites' free bets provide identical -110 odds on both teams covering their spread. OKC has played consistently on both sides of the ball and should win easily against Golden State. The total is 226.5 points with equal -110 odds for the Over and Under bet. Games at Chase Center average 218 points and both teams do not cover their spread regularly.
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