Golden State Warriors vs San Antonio Spurs Betting Preview
October 24, 2016
Date & time: Tuesday, October 25, 10:30 PM
Venue: Oracle Arena (Oakland)
Head to head record
Golden State vs San Antonio 61-63 (Las Vegas Summer League 2016)
San Antonio vs Golden State 86-92 (2015/2016 NBA)
Golden State vs San Antonio 112-101 (2015/2016 NBA)
San Antonio vs Golden State 87-79 (2015/2016 NBA)
Golden State vs San Antonio 120-90 (2015/2016 NBA)
Golden State Warriors vs San Antonio Spurs prediction
Last season’s runners-up Golden State Warriors kick off the new NBA campaign with a match against San Antonio Spurs. Steve Kerr’s men are considered favourites on paper to emerge triumphant in Tuesday’s game, but Spurs should not be written off just yet.
K.D. is in the town!
Golden State Warriors failed to defend their NBA trophy last season, with the team losing to Cleveland Cavaliers in the finals. As a result, the club owners decided to reinforce the squad in the summer and, no doubt, NBA star Kevin Durant is the biggest name that joined the team. All eyes will be on K.D. when Golden State take on San Antonio in their opener, but Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry are still considered the fans’ favourites. Zaza Pachulia is yet another new signing and he will certainly give 100% to produce a fine performance on his Warriors debut. Golden State are a real force to be reckoned with at home and it has to be noted that they outplayed Portland Trail Blazers in their final warm-up game at their Oracle Arena.
Coach Steve Kerr has no fresh injury worries and he can count on all of his key players for the San Antonio clash, but Damian Jones is likely to miss the match with injury (pectoral).
Can anyone replace Timmy?
San Antonio Spurs failed to impress in the 2016 NBA playoffs, with the team suffering a 4-2 loss to Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semis. Legendary center Tim Duncan played his last game for the team against Oklahoma and many people believe that Timmy is going to be sorely missed in the 2016/2017 NBA season. Serbian giant Boban Marjanovic moved to Detroit Pistons, but Spanish ace Pau Gasol joined the team in the summer. Kawhi Leonard will be the man to watch in the away team in Tuesday’s derby against Golden State Warriors, but experienced guard Manu Ginobilli, who impressed at the 2016 Summer Olympics is capable of posing a big threat for Steve Kerr’s troops as well. San Antonio were beaten by Golden State at Oracle Arena in previous three meetings between the two teams in NBA and it remains to be seen if Gregg Popovich’s men are capable of putting an end to the negative trend. Spurs outplayed Houston Rockets 114-99 in their preseason final.
The likes of Dedmond, Laprovittola and Ginobili did not enter the court against Houston, but they are likely to play some part in Tuesday’s clash against Golden State Warriors.
Interesting facts
- Golden State scored 100+ points in previous four meetings with San Antonio at Oracle Arena
- San Antonio were beaten by Oklahoma in previous two away matches in NBA
- No more than 178 points were scored in last meeting between the two teams in NBA (86-92)
- Stephen Curry netted 37 points in the 92-86 win over Spurs last season
- Golden State recorded 73 wins, while suffering 9 defeats in the 2015/2016 NBA regular season
Golden State Warriors vs San Antonio Spurs prediction
Golden State Warriors are determined to regain the NBA title and, no doubt, Kevin Durant will quickly adapt to the new surroundings. Warriors were impressive at home last season and considering that San Antonio Spurs are not regarded as good travelers, home win appears on the horizon.
Pick: Golden State -8.5
Odds: -110
