Golden State Eying Playoff Locks
The 2022-23 season is ending in less than two weeks, with the NBA playoff odds taking shape, and the defending champions, Golden State Warriors, firmly in the thick of things. The San Antonio Spurs will not be competing for the playoffs or Play-In, finishing with the worst record in the Western Conference. Both meet this Friday, with the Warriors trying to hold onto an automatic playoff spot.
On Wednesday, the Spurs lost to the Utah Jazz 128-117, continuing to play through injuries and a rebuilding roster. The Warriors won their last game, beating the New Orleans Pelicans 120-109 on Tuesday, being down 20-point at one point in the second half.
Spurs Season Almost Over
This season for the Spurs has not been surprising. After such a long and dominant recent history in the NBA, the franchise needs to go through a rebuild. On top of that, San Antonio has dealt with injuries to its top two young players for most of the season, Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell.
In the loss to the Jazz, the standout players were Malaki Branham, a late first-round rookie with 21 points, and Sandro Mamukelashvili, with 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
Pop took a long look at those banners during player intros. Could be nothing. pic.twitter.com/te46GorZD1
— Eric Salinas (@EricSal_7) March 30, 2023
However, the biggest NBA news surrounding that game was that it could be head coach Gregg Popovich’s last one at home. The Spurs will have two more home games, but they won’t be played in AT&T Center. Popovich was spotted looking up at the banners he helped win before the game against the Jazz started. He has danced around the topic of retirement all season, but it does seem likely, with the Spurs going deeper into a rebuild.
Warriors Breaking Out of Play-In
The Warriors do not have the same NBA title odds as last season when the team won it all. They are technically still the team to beat but have been in a battle to stay out of the Play-In for most of the season. Most NBA lines see them finishing sixth and gaining an automatic playoff spot.
However, what does that mean for this team? The Warriors have had to deal with injuries to Stephen Curry all season, but he is still putting up elite numbers, averaging 29.6 points per game. More recently, Andrew Wiggins has been absent dealing with a personal issue.
20-point comeback on Warriors Ground?
YOU BET.Elevate your insight game on the Dubs’ home win over the Pelicans with By the Numbers, powered by @googlecloud pic.twitter.com/4LDNtRPPwY
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) March 30, 2023
A big part of Golden State’s ability to stay out of the Play-In has been its success at home. The Warriors have the fourth-best winning percentage at Chase Center, going 31-8. After losing a tight game at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Warriors came out flat against the Pelicans. But, in the second half, they had a prototypical Warriors final two quarters scoring 74 points.
The playoffs could be challenging without home-court advantage, but the Warriors still have the championship pedigree few teams can match.
Spurs vs Warriors Game Injuries
Spurs vs Warriors Head-to-Head
The Warriors have won both games this season, which makes sense, given that one team is in the playoffs and one isn’t. The Warriors also won by at least 20 points in each one.
Spurs vs Warriors Game Information
- Game: Spurs (19-57) vs Warriors (40-37)
- Location: Chase Center, San Francisco, CA
- Day/Time: Friday, March 31, 10:00 p.m. EST
- Spurs vs Warriors Live stream: NBA Game Pass
Spurs vs Warriors Betting Lines
Spurs vs Warriors picks and Prediction
For NBA picks, the Warriors at home have been an easy option, going 26-12-1 against the spread at home.
The biggest question for this game will be if the Warriors can cover the massive spread when facing the Spurs. However, this season the Warriors have blown out the Spurs twice, and the team needs to keep winning to stay out of the Play-In. Even with such a large spread, the Warriors might be able to cover.
The Golden State Warriors are listed at –1800 in our Vegas NBA odds. This means that if you wager $100 on the Warriors, you have a chance to win $6. The San Antonio Spurs is +920, offering a chance to win $920 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives the Golden State Warriors a 94.74% chance to win, with the San Antonio Spurs at 9.80%
Spurs vs Warriors Trends
Spurs vs Warriors Edge
Spurs vs Warriors Results
Spurs vs Warriors Game Summary
Warriors vs Spurs Previous Game (Jan 13,2023)
It has not been the desired start to the season for the defending champions Golden State Warriors. They closed 2022 and entered 2023 on a five-game winning streak but have lost three straight since. Now, as the tumbling San Antonio Spurs throw it back with an attendance record in sight at the old Alamodome, the Warriors hope to have a throwback performance of their own.
Those placing sports bets show 62% in favor of the San Antonio Spurs ATS, while 52% are on the over. The Golden State Warriors are 11-14-1 ATS as favorites, while the Spurs are 19-20.
Expect a vibrant crowd of Texans mixed with a sprinkling of Warriors fans as the franchise has grown in popularity over time. It will be an electric atmosphere for an NBA game, and the young Spurs could feed off that and surprise people.
Though they face a large point spread, the Warriors have great chemistry and are well-rested with an extra day off. It is the first game of a road trip, and the losing streak should fire up the Warriors to play a lot harder and with great focus as they try to climb out of the play-in ranks.
