Best bets, player props to consider for Blazers-Warriors
With only one game on tap for Tuesday's NBA postseason slate, we dive into the best bets and player props to consider for Trail Blazers-Warriors.
Portland Trail Blazers at Golden State Warriors
Line: Warriors -7.5
Total: 220.5
Golden State and Portland split their four regular-season meetings in what's been a pretty even series of late. In the last 10 games, both teams have covered five, with six going over the total. The Warriors opened as eight-point favorites but were bumped down a tick earlier in the week. The total climbed from 219 to as high as 220.5 in some shops from Monday night to Tuesday morning.
The Warriors will march on without Kevin Durant, who suffered a calf strain in Game 5 of their second-round series against the Houston Rockets. As a 7.5-point underdog, Golden State rallied without its star forward to take the series in six games. In fact, the Dubs are on a 22-12 run against the spread in contests that Durant misses but Steph Curry features in. The Warriors have been strong in this round recently, going 10-4 against the spread over their last 14 Western Conference finals tilts. They've also gone under the total in each of their previous five contests in the penultimate series.
Game 6 showed just how dangerous Golden State can be when everyone else remains on the same page. The Dubs should make a statement over the trendy playoff underdog with a blowout win in the series opener.
Damian Lillard Over/Under 27.5 points
Lillard was solid in his four regular-season games against the Warriors, averaging 28.2 points. That's right around what he's posting through 12 playoffs contests, though his home/road splits are tough to ignore. Through six games in Portland, he's averaging 32.8 points and has gone over Tuesday's total each time; in the half-dozen on the road, Lillard is averaging just 24 points and has surpassed 27 once.
Steph Curry Over/Under 31.5 points
Curry has had his way with Portland since coming into the league. The 27.5 points he's averaged against the Trail Blazers over his career is the most of any Western Conference foe. Tuesday's point total is well above his season average of 27.3, but remember: No Durant means more points to be had for Golden State's other scorers.
CJ McCollum Over/Under 32.5 points + rebounds + assists
McCollum was the hero in Game 7 against the Denver Nuggets, pouring in 37 points to spring Portland to the West finals. This might be the ideal time to sell high, though. McCollum has combined for 32 or fewer points, rebounds, and assists in three of his last four road playoff contests and went under that total in all four meetings against Golden State during the regular season.
Alex Kolodziej is theScore's betting writer. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 11 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AlexKoIodziej.