With Russell Westbrook now officially ruled out for Warriors vs. Thunder on NBA Opening Night, the Warriors are now 13-point favorites after opening at -11. The total has also been on the move, dropping from 222.5 to 220.5 in the latest Warriors vs. Thunder odds. With the Thunder already major underdogs, losing Westbrook will make their bid for an upset tough, but there could be an opportunity to take advantage of line movement in either direction as you consider making your Warriors vs. Thunder picks. That's why you'll want to hear what SportsLine NBA expert Larry Hartstein has to say before the 10:30 p.m. ET tip.
The veteran NBA handicapper closed last season on a sizzling 26-14 playoff run, and any $100 bettor who has followed him since 2017 is up $2,266. Moreover, Hartstein has a keen feel for these teams: He's 23-15 in his last 38 pointspread picks involving the Warriors and 18-10 in his last 28 involving OKC.
Now, Hartstein has analyzed Warriors vs. Thunder and locked in a strong against-the-spread pick. He's sharing it only over at SportsLine.
Hartstein knows Golden State has won and covered nine of the past 11 meetings and has set itself apart with a star-studded lineup led by Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and super-sub Andre Iguodala.
Golden State signed All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins in the offseason, but he's still recovering from an Achilles injury. Damian Jones, an unproven 23-year-old, will start until Cousins is ready.
After averaging 28.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, 7.5 assists and two blocks en route to winning NBA Finals MVP, Durant re-signed with Golden State to keep the dynasty intact.
But just because the Warriors are the most talented team in the NBA and Westbrook is out doesn't mean they'll cover a growing spread against the Thunder.
The Thunder still have superstar Paul George, who averaged 29 points in a pair of victories over the Warriors last season. George will be supported by offseason addition Dennis Schroder, who should be able to provide scoring and playmaking ability at point guard in Westbrook's absence.
Schroder averaged 19.4 points and 6.3 assists last season while playing for the Hawks and has done damage to Golden State in the past. In fact, he has averaged 22.5 points, 5.3 assists and 4.5 rebounds against them in their last four matchups. The Thunder also have dynamic rim protection and rebounding potential with Steven Adams and Nerlens Noel to out-muscle the Warriors frontcourt down low.
We can tell you Hartstein is leaning Over, but his much stronger play is against the spread. He's uncovered a glaring trend that makes one side a must-back.
So which side of the Thunder-Warriors spread hits hard? Visit SportsLine now to see which side you need to be all over, all from the expert coming off a 26-14 playoff heater.
