NBA Finals Matchup – Golden State Warriors vs. Toronto Raptors Betting Preview
The Golden State Warriors are back in the NBA Finals for a fifth consecutive season, but this one will be different. For the first time in that run they will face a team other than the Cavaliers and another superstar not named LeBron James.
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The Warriors are big favorites to win their third straight title after dispatching Portland in four games to win the Western Conference. Let’s not forget, however, that the Toronto Raptors had the second-best record in the NBA during the regular season, swept the season series from the Dubs and have a guy named Kawhi Leonard, who has his own score to settle with the boys from the Bay.
BookMaker.eu will have NBA odds, first half lines, and live betting options for every game of the 2019 NBA Finals.
Golden State Warriors vs. Toronto Raptors
Series Schedule:
Game 1: Warriors at Raptors, Thursday, May 30, 2019, 9 p.m. ET (ABC)
Game 2: Warriors at Raptors, Sunday, June 2, 2019, 8 p.m. ET (ABC)
Game 3: Raptors at Warriors, Wednesday, June 5, 2019, 9 p.m. ET (ABC)
Game 4: Raptors at Warriors, Friday, June 7, 2019, 9 p.m. ET (ABC)
Game 5: Warriors at Raptors, Monday, June 10, 2019 (If Necessary)
Game 6: Raptors at Warriors, Thursday, June 13, 2019 (If Necessary)
Game 7: Warriors at Raptors, Sunday, June 16, 2019 (If Necessary)
Series Price at BookMaker.eu: Golden State -320/Toronto +260
Can we read anything into Toronto’s sweep of the regular season series? Probably not, since the Warriors are a completely different squad once the postseason rolls around. Portland enjoyed some regular season success against Golden State, but they were wiped clean from the playoffs in a sweep in the conference final. If anything, the Warriors will be the motivated group after hearing about how they lost both games.
Toronto isn’t Portland, however. The Raps have balance and depth that wore down the Bucks in the East Final. They also have Leonard, who was brought in just for this reason. Years of playoff futility finally came to an end when the Raps handed Giannis and the Bucks four consecutive losses. The NBA’s best team hadn’t lost more than two games in a row all season until Toronto’s unlikely run.
So, to automatically hand the O’Brien Trophy to the Dubs is ludicrous. They will have to earn it and this series is going to be more of a grind than the conference final when a battered Blazers squad was simply overmatched. Toronto’s grinding style forced Milwaukee out of its comfort zone and the Raps will need similar results on the defensive end to beat the Warriors.
Again, that’s where Kawhi comes in. He experienced some discomfort in the Bucks series but played through the pain and put up ridiculous numbers. And while he may not mention it, his career in San Antonio came to an end against the Warriors in the 2017 Western Conference Final when he was injured in Game 1. We don’t know if the Spurs would have won the series had Leonard not gotten hurt, but they didn’t have chance without him.
This will easily be the most difficult series for the Warriors in this playoff season and perhaps since Steve Kerr became coach, sorry James Harden. They’ve lost just one series in the last five years and it took a herculean effort from LeBron to do that. The Dubs have risen to the occasion and knowing this may be the last time the gang is all together, they will be motivated for another title.
It’s been announced that Kevin Durant will miss Game 1 and possibly a few more with his calf injury. His absence hasn’t affected the team too much since they haven’t lost a game with him on the shelf. Stephen Curry has exploded and the Warriors look like a different team. Not having KD will impact the Warriors in this series since the Raps have five starters who can play defense and their depth will be a concern.
Warriors vs. Raptors Free Picks
It’s hard to go against the Warriors in a seven-game series since they don’t lose a lot of games, especially around playoff time. But the Raps pinned a four-game losing streak on the Bucks and enter the Finals as a confident group. Unlike the Bucks, the Warriors have been here before, quite a few times actually, and they know what it takes to win. Taking advantage of the Warriors without Durant is an absolute must if the Raptors are to have any hope, and that means getting wins early since KD is expected to return at some point. Toronto’s eventual downfall will be Golden State’s ability to close out games, something the Bucks couldn’t do in the East Final.
Warriors vs. Raptors Series Pick: Warriors in 7 Games
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