Indiana has had their moments this year, but have lost consecutive games. They are losing track of the red-hot Sixers in the #3 spot, and this is going to be considered a must-win performance for them. If they cannot claim victory tonight, they will further fall behind and give themselves a tougher opening round matchup.
Golden State is just a half-game ahead of Denver right now, and both teams are in action tonight. A win could keep them at bay for another day, which is just what they need right now. They have the talent to out-perform any team on a given night, with another chance this evening. The Warriors come into this game as huge favourites on Thursday. Golden State is listed at -11 in this game, with the betting total of 220.5.
Indiana Pacers Looking to Gain Momentum
This Pacers team is going to need to get some contributions from their bench if they want to have a chance to even cover the spread. Tyreke Evans is having the worst season of his career and has been totally unproductive, with only a few solid performances. Darren Collison missed his first game of the season in Indy’s last time out, and it was clear that they missed both his defense and his playmaking ability. In his absence, Cory Joseph drew the start.
The best scoring defense in the league belongs to Indiana, and that has been their calling card for the entire season. They are in the bottom-third of the league in points for, so that has been what’s earning them all of these victories. It also helps that Bojan Bogdanovic has raised his game a few levels in the absence of Victor Oladipo, but again, it is a team game and nobody understands that like these Pacers.
Golden State Warriors With Loaded Roster
Of all the weird things to happen in the NBA this year, Andrew Bogut joining the Warriors with a month left in the season and being thrown into the starting lineup has to be near the top. After being waived by the Lakers last year, he played professionally in his native Australia. And now he’s back. This is a team that has injury issues at center which is why that’s even happening in the first place, but we have to appreciate when things like that can just occur.
Golden State is hoping to get DeMarcus Cousins back soon, but in the meantime, they continue to focus on the task at hand. Re-gain home court in the playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons. They are again a very talented bunch with limited bench scoring. They might be the only team in the NBA that this is not really a negative for. One of Steph/Klay/KD is always on the floor, so there is always a player to run the offense through.
Warriors To claim their 49th win?
These are two playoff teams, and two teams with a ton of talent. But, when push comes to shove, one team is much better than the other. The Warriors should run away with this game and hide. Be sure to bet Warriors -11 tonight! The Warriors will not be stopped, as they hand the Pacers a third loss in a row. The Duns will cover the spread and race out to an early lead that will hold.
Bet the Golden State Warriors -11 over the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night in NBA action.