- Betting odds:Â Warriors are -520 favorites to win this series and Portland +397 underdogs at BookMaker.eu
- Tip off:Â Oracle Arena in Oakland, California with Game 1 at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, May 14th, 2019 and nationally televised on ESPN.
The second round of the Western Conference playoffs featured a pair of thrilling series, and it was the Portland Trail Blazers and Golden State Warriors who emerged victorious. They will face off in the Western Conference Finals with a spot in the NBA Finals on the line.
Golden State is the higher seed and will have the home court advantage, and will be the favorite to move on in search of yet another title. However, the injuries to Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins in the playoffs have made the road tougher and the Blazers will come in upset-minded.
Western Conference Finals |Â Trail Blazers vs Warriors Odds
The Warriors have been listed as the -520 favorites to win this series and advance to the NBA Finals. Portland is the +397 underdog to shock Golden State.
The Warriors are eight-point favorites to win Game 1. Golden State is -350 on the moneyline to take the 1-0 lead while the Blazers are the +281 underdogs. The scoring total for Game 1 is listed at 218.5 points.
Previous Series
The Trail Blazers made it here by dispatching the Denver Nuggets in seven games in the second round. They trailed by 17 points on the road in Game 7 but made a stirring comeback for the impressive win. C.J. McCollum led the way for Portland in that game, while backcourt mate Damian Lillard had several key moments earlier in the series.
The Warriors lost Durant in the third quarter of Game 5 against the Rockets but played well in the fourth quarter for the win, and then went on the road and stunned Houston in Game 6 to clinch the series. Golden State was a 7-point underdog in Game 6 but Klay Thompson was fantastic throughout and Steph Curry had a phenomenal second half.
The backcourt matchup is a great one and the team that gets better play out of their guards will have the upper hand.
Injury Report
Durant is dealing with a calf strain that is going to be re-evaluated this week. There is no timetable for his return but the general expectation is that Golden State will have to play a handful of games in this series without him.
Portland needs to take advantage of that and grab some wins because if Durant can come back around Game 4 or 5, he will have a tremendous impact. The series odds are interesting because of Durant’s injury, and Portland hopes to steal an early win in Oakland to put some pressure on the Warriors.
Trail Blazers small forward Rodney Hood injured his knee in Game 7 against the Nuggets and it’s unknown if he will be available for the start of this series. He played well against Denver and is a key piece for Denver.
Western Conference Finals |Â Trail Blazers vs Warriors Predictions
Our staff pick:Â Warriors to beat Trail Blazers in five games
The Blazers are playing well but their offense isn’t nearly as efficient as Golden State’s, even without Durant on the floor. Portland should be able to grab an early victory but the Warriors will eventually take control and claim this series to make it to the NBA Finals once again.
Don’t be too worried about Durant. Golden State should be fine without him and will cruise to the series victory.
Check out the latest NBA betting odds for today.
