Blazers vs. Warriors Picks: Can Golden State Beat Portland without Stephen Curry?

Dan Favale
By , Updated on: Apr 9, 2024 08:00 PM
Blazers vs. Warriors Picks: Can Golden State Beat Portland without Stephen Curry?

Following the news that Stephen Curry will miss at least one month with another injury, many have decided the Golden State Warriors' 2022-23 NBA season is effectively over. And their odds to win the 2023 NBA Finals have shifted accordingly. However, the Dubs have played .500 basketball without Curry so far. Might they be better equipped to survive without him than most think? The result of Blazers vs. Warriors will go a long way towards letting us know.

For their part, oddsmakers aren't too optimistic. And who can blame them? Golden State will be traveling to face the Portland Trail Blazers, and the Warriors have been nothing if not terrible on the road this season. It's hard to imagine that trend breaking without one of the best players alive in the lineup. Then again, Golden State's defense has perked up in Curry's absence. Perhaps an upset is on the table.

Before we get to our Blazers vs. Warriors picks, though, here are the latest NBA online betting odds for this matchup:

To WinBetOnlineBovadaBetUS
Portland Trail Blazers-158-175-140
Golden State Warriors+134+150+125

Always make sure you are double-checking these online NBA betting odds before actually making your predictions. Our Blazers vs. Warriors betting odds are accurate entering the night of Tuesday, February 7. Linemakers will have plenty of time to adjust the markets ahead of opening tip on Wednesday, February 8, at 10:10 p.m. EST.

Of course, you don't need to sweat any last minute changes to betting odds on Blazers vs. Warriors if you're signed up with the right sportsbook. And that's where we can come in. Our reviews of the top online sportsbooks are chock full of information that can help you spot the best online NBA betting sites in 2023.

With all of that said, how should you bet on Blazers vs. Warriors? That's what we're here to figure out.

Golden State's Struggles on the Road Must be Top of Mind as They Head to Portland

Investing in the Warriors when they play on the road has largely been a fool's errand. At 7-20 away from home, they have the third-worst road record in the Western Conference. The Blazers have been far from elite on their own turf, at 14-12, but they do generally play much better defense in front of the home crowd.

And let's not forget: Golden State's road woes should only get worse without Stephen Curry. He is the driving force of their offense, and the combination of Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins is too inconsistent on that end to believe the Warriors can break their season-long trend. You can feel a little bit better about the Warriors' chances following Thompson's 42-point detonation against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night, but the erratic play of Poole and Wiggins neutralize those good vibes.

Failing any surprise injury absences for the Blazers, they are your best bet in this one.

OSB Prediction: Portland Trail Blazers (-158)

Portland Trail Blazers To beat the Golden State Warriors
-158
BetOnline

Will Blazers vs. Warriors be as Close as Currently Advertised?

Below you can see the latest NBA point spread betting odds for Blazers vs. Warriors on Thursday night:

  • Portland Trail Blazers, -3.5 (-110)
  • Golden State Warriors, +3.5 (-110)

If you thought the Warriors would be a better spread bet than moneyline option while on the road, well, think again. The Dubs are 8-18 against the spread in hostile territory—the absolute worst against-the-spread record in the entire NBA. They have been slightly better as the road underdog (5-9), but not by much.

For their part, the Blazers aren't point-spread world-beaters. They have covered the spread just over 50 percent of the time when playing at home as the favorite. Plenty of people will be worried after they just got shellacked, at home, against the Milwaukee Bucks to boot. But this Blazers vs. Warriors matchup should play out differently.

Again, we cannot overstate enough just how monstrous Steph Curry's absence will be. The Blazers have a leg up by default. Plus, when they win at home, they really win at home. Portland is outscoring opponents by 14.2 points per game during home victories—the third largest margin in the NBA, trailing only the Boston Celtics and Sacramento Kings.

OSB Prediction:  Portland Trail Blazers, -3.5 (-110)

Portland Trail Blazers To cover the spread against the Golden State Warriors
-110
BetOnline

Should the Stephen Curry Injury Impact How You Bet on the Over/Under for Warriors vs. Blazers?

Take a look at the latest NBA over/under betting odds for Warriors vs. Blazers:

  • Over 234.5 (-110)
  • Under 234.5 (-110)

Many bettors will flock toward the under knowing the Blazers are on a two-game losing streak and the Warriors will be without Curry. Believe it or not, we're headed in the other direction.

There will be more points scored in Blazers vs. Warriors than most expect. Golden State's offense isn't nearly as potent without Curry, but they have topped 115 points through each of his first two absences over this stretch. Meanwhile, the Blazers are averaging over 122 points whenever they play in Portland.

On top of all that, Golden State has hit the over in a whopping 76 percent of their road matchups. And that figure has largely held up in games that Curry doesn't play. It might seem counterintuitive, but betting the "over" for Blazers vs. Warriors is the smart move.

OSB Prediction: Over 234.5 (-110)

Blazers and Warriors To score over 234.5 points combined
-110
BetOnline

Take a look at this list of the top online sportsbooks so you can decide which one to use for all of your NBA betting:

Meet the author

Dan Favale

Dan Favale leverages over 12 years of sports journalism expertise in his role as New York staff writer. He provides in-depth analysis across the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, tennis, NASCAR, college basketball, and sports betting. Dan co-hosts the popular Hardwood Knocks NBA podc...

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