It has been officially reported by the Golden State Warriors that their star player, Steph Curry, will be out for at least two weeks due to a MCL sprain. The news impacts the current online betting playoff picture in the west, but it is hard to assess just how much it will end up affecting the grand scheme of things.
There is absolutely no question whatsoever when it comes to Curry magnificent season so far as he has lead this Warriors team to break records after records. His presence alone has caused for online betting line to shift, and sports betting fans know that if he is on fire, the Warriors are a sure bet. But, it doesn’t mean that the Warriors are lost without him. Especially how the dismantled the Rockets in Game 4, at Houston. So, Golden State is still a great basketball team and one of the absolute bests in the league if not the best, with or without Curry.
How does Curry’s two-week absence affect the odds to win the Western Conference? It all depends. The Warriors are a good basketball team when Curry is not playing, their recent performances without him have been really noteworthy and clear indications that they are not overly dependent on what Chef Curry does. But, the San Antonio Spurs, are fresh from sweeping the Grizzlies, they are strong and besides the Cavaliers on the East, they have had the strongest performance of the first round of the playoffs. So far the lines remains the same.
Sports betting Odds to win the NBA Championship:
Warriors +140
Spurs +255
Cavaliers +360
Will the line change in the future? It could be. Curry will not be back for another two weeks and the Warriors have not put away the Rockets just yet. It is very doubtful that Houston could rally back and beat Golden State, as they are on the brink of elimination and they have to pull at least two games out of Oracle Arena if they wish to stay alive. Curry’s injury becomes an issue at round two, when the Warriors face the winner of the Blazers and Clippers series. At the time this article was written, the Clippers lead 2-1 and if they get a win on Portland, it is almost a sure thing that they will move on to the next round. The best scenario for the Warriors would be for them to eliminate the Rockets in their next game and for the Blazers and Clippers to go to a Game 7.
As for the Spurs, they beat the Grizzlies (granted, perhaps the weakest team in the playoffs due to their multiple injuries), and they are calmly waiting for the Thunder or Mavericks (spoiler alert, it’s going to be the Thunder). In theory, the Spurs will have it tougher than the Warriors, and with KD and Westbrook you never know. If the Thunder comes ready to play, then the Spurs could be in trouble.
Online betting odds fluctuate, but in this case it should not and will not affect the Warriors odds. Let’s not count out Curry, who could be back in two weeks when the Warriors need them the most.