Two of the best teams collide in a conference versus conference showdown between the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers. Their combined record is 16-1 on the season, and it is the best game today.

If the season is looked at as a premiere boxing event, this would be the undercard match that has produced better quality than anticipated. Let’s breaks down both teams.

 

 

 

Golden State Warriors: San Francisco Knights

The Golden State Warriors could be The People Under the Stairs. Low expectations and overlooked before the season, but the Knights of old must not be forgotten, after all Warriors are warriors. It starts with Steve Kerr who is a fantastic leader, and the highest paid coach in the Association. 

Kerr has earned his keep too, the Warriors are 7-1, do not have Klay Thompson, and Stepen Curry has been injured. Despite that the Warriors have a share of the best record in the Western Conference. 

The heart of a champion should never be underestimated, and coaching is the unmentioned difference in what makes a champion. Kerr has 9 NBA titles on his resume… Only a select few have more than that. If Kerr is King, his table of knights still has Lancelot and Gawain.

 

 

 

Cleveland Cavaliers: Cleveland Rocks

Sometimes it appears a coach is doing everything right, and still they can be replaced with someone better. Sometimes it may appear mean, or as a bad move, but sometimes those moves are rewarded.

Kenny Atkinson seems to be on the Jon Gruden track, and I mean that purely from a coaching standpoint. Gruden took over a perennial playoff team from what turned out to be a Hall of Fame coach and won the Super Bowl with a fantastic roster.

Atkinson set the NBA record for most consecutive wins as a new coach of a franchise and set a franchise record for most wins to start a season. This is a franchise that had LeBron James for 11 wonderful seasons. Atkinson too has a great roster that is playoff experienced… Could this be the Cavaliers year?

 

 

 

Golden State Warriors Starting Lineup

 

 

 

Cleveland Cavaliers Starting Lineup

 

 

 

Warriors vs. Cavs Predictions & Picks Today: Friday, 11/8

Stephen Curry Under 24.5 Points (+110 on BetMGM)

The opportunities are rare to take the under on a player that has scored 23,774 career NBA points, but that is the prediction. The Cavaliers have a great defense, forcing a point differential of +12.6. Curry could have difficulty earning easy layups today.

Curry has scored 25 points or more just once this season, and that was against a team who plays minimum defense. He is also on a pace to shatter his career best for assists per game. He is currently at 7.0 which would almost be a full assist per game more.

Take the under as Curry will see a great defensive front court and not earn as many field goals.

 

 

 

SGP: Curry + Donovan Mitchell Each Over 3.5 Threes Made (+300 on DraftKings) 0.5 Unit*

This could seem illogical to some to bet the under on Curry’s points and bet the over on his 3.5 threes made. However the data indicates otherwise. Despite only one game with over 24 points this season, Curry has made 4 threes in all but one game he has played in this season.

He is spending more time outside of the paint as most point guards in their sixteenth season do. This is also attributed to his higher assists this season, and Curry is still one of the best three-point scorers in the Association.

Donovan Mitchell will fire it up from behind the three-point line any game. He has 26 attempts in his last three games and is the first scoring option for the Cavaliers. He has made 4 or more in three of his nine games this season, but could have extra motivation playing against Curry, or to stay unbeaten.

Mitchell is the risk in this parlay, but the attempts will be there. The odds are fantastic for two guards who could have a combined 20 or more attempts tonight. As with most parlays a half a unit is recommended.

 

 

 

Bet Smart, Be Lucky -Iggy-