After a rip-roaring start to the new campaign, the NBA rolls into week 2 and it sees the Golden State Warriors on the road as they travel to face Western Conference rivals Phoenix Suns this evening. The Warriors bounced back from their slip up against the Denver Nuggets to see off the Sacramento Kings in their last outing, while the Phoenix Suns took care of the LA Clippers 112-95 in a one-sided game.
Last season, the Suns and the Warriors split their meetings, and there are a few things to bear in mind heading into their latest installment:
- The Warriors’ veteran lineup has crushed opponents by 43 points in 41 minutes, while all their other lineups have a cumulative total of -29.
- Steph Curry scored 33 points against the Kings (50% shooting from the field) and he has scored 33 points or more in all three games this season.
- Chris Paul became the third player to reach the 11,000 assists milestone in his side’s win over the Clippers.
- Paul also became the first player in the league to notch up 20,000 points and 11,000 assists.
- Devin Booker has shouldered much of the offensive load for the Suns with 50/50/90 shooting splits.
There are many intriguing angles to this particular matchup and reputable US online betting sites won’t pass up the opportunity to share the best markets.
Ahead of the tip-off, we have identified a couple of tips for you to mull over.
Phoenix Suns to enjoy home comforts
While there has been a significant disparity in the quality of the Warriors’ starting roster and their bench unit, Steve Kerr is trying to experiment with different lineups to see which side will be able to relicate their achievements of last term. Naturally, it takes time to build team chemistry, but it may have been rather disconcerting to see the Warriors mentally check out in the third quarter against the Kings. Having surged into a 24-point lead, the 130-125 scoreline may have been flattering, but it was a shaky fourth quarter by all accounts for the Warriors.
Meanwhile, the Suns may have had a solid start to the season, but nothing has been done to lessen Booker’s workload. Nevertheless, Booker has commanded things offensively, and he has been averaging 32 points per game and he has been sitting around the 53% mark for shooting from the field. Booker has also been carrying out more drives and it is impressive to see the way he has been attacking the basket. The Warriors are on the road for the first time this season, but they are facing a staunch Suns defense who have allowed 104.3 points per game (fourth-fewest in the NBA), and they have a clean bill of health, so this seems to point towards a Suns win.
If you like the look of the Moneyline, then BetMGM is pricing the Suns at a short -140 to take the spoils.
Steph Curry aiming to explode once again
You just can’t take your eyes off Curry at the minute. The four-time NBA champion is single-minded in his pursuit to rack up as many points as possible, and so far he has been averaging 33+ per game. Curry is widely known as the best shooter in the NBA, and he can create havoc in the three-point region. Once again, Curry has shown that he is a model of consistency, even if the Warriors’ defense has had lapses in concentration. Props markets always provide good value, and if you fancy Curry to drain Over 26.5 points, then FanDuel has obliged by offering odds of -122 for this to happen.
