Golden State Warriors vs Toronto Raptors
There will be a bunch of firsts in Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Toronto Raptors and the Golden State Warriors: the first-ever Finals game for the Raptors; the first-ever Finals game outside of the United States; the Warriors’ first Finals foe besides the Cleveland Cavaliers during their dominant five-year run; and their first Finals Game 1 on the road.
The Warriors will be well-rested after a nine-day break following their sweep of the Portland Trail Blazers. Meanwhile, the Raptors will be riding high after their stunning comeback down 0-2 against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Unsurprisingly, the NBA Finals 2019 betting odds are backing the Warriors to complete a remarkable three-peat. But the feisty Raptors are ready to make the defending champions work for that third successive title, starting in Game 1 in Toronto.
Talking Points
Warriors still short-handed
Despite their extended lay-off ahead of the Finals, the big NBA Finals 2019 news for the Warriors is that Kevin Durant still won’t be available for Game 1. Durant remains sidelined by the calf injury he suffered in Game 5 against the Houston Rockets.
Meanwhile, DeMarcus Cousins has been upgraded to questionable to return from the quad injury he suffered in the first round against the Los Angeles Clippers. Andre Iguodala also looks set to play after his own calf injury in Game 3 against the Blazers.
Even without two-time Finals MVP Durant, the Warriors still made short work of the Blazers thanks to the brilliance of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green.
Curry was back to his scintillating best as he averaged 36.5 points in the series and set the NBA record for most points in a playoff sweep. Green was equally excellent on both ends of the floor. Aside from recording two triple-doubles, he also set the tone with his remarkable defence.
Thanks to their long rest, the Warriors should be more than ready to expend the necessary energy in Game 1. They will need to continue to work particularly hard on offence with Durant still out, but Curry and Thompson have relatively fresh legs and should be up for the challenge against a formidable Raptors defence.
Raptors’ big advantage
The Raptors looked dead and buried after the first two games of their series against the Bucks. But they made the necessary adjustments — like tasking Kawhi Leonard to guard Giannis Antetokounmpo, in particular — as they swept the next four games to reach their first-ever NBA Finals.
Aside from Leonard’s all-world defence, he also continued to power the Raptors’ offence with his consistent scoring. He even grew significantly as a playmaker as he recorded 16 assists in the final two games.
But perhaps more importantly, the Raptors’ role players stepped up in those last few games. Marc Gasol came up with a couple of big games, while Serge Ibaka, Norman Powell and Fred VanVleet all provided important production off the bench.
Inspired by the birth of his son, VanVleet snapped out of his horrific shooting slump to shoot 14-of-17 on 3-pointers in the last three games against the Bucks.
Those three reserves will continue to be vital to the Raptors’ success in the Finals and will need to outplay the Warriors’ bench.
It also goes without saying how valuable Game 1 will be for the Raptors. Home court is one of, if not the only advantage Toronto have in this series, and it would be very tough if they were to give it up immediately. Moreover, they must fully capitalise on Durant’s absence while they still can.
History
The Raptors should head into the Finals against the Warriors with confidence in their ability to hang with the defending champions. They won both games against the Warriors this season, which included a 20-point blowout win at Oracle Arena without Leonard and the Warriors at full strength.
On the other hand, though, the Warriors almost beat a full-strength Raptors squad in Toronto despite missing Curry.
The Warriors are an undefeated 4-0 in Game 1 of the Finals during their amazing run. Although, it should be noted that all four of those games were at home.
At the same time, the Warriors shouldn’t be fazed by starting out the Finals on enemy territory. After all, they have won at least one road game in 22 straight playoff series.
What are the odds?
SBOBET odds have the Raptors installed as the narrow favourites for Game 1 against the Durant-less Warriors. The Raptors are 1.87 on the money line, while the Warriors are at 2.03. And in terms of the Asian handicap, Raptors -2.00 is priced at 2.04 and Warriors +2.00 is 1.86.
The Raptors are certainly deserving of a good deal of respect, especially at home. The way they reeled off four-straight wins against a Bucks team which hadn’t even lost three in a row all season was quite impressive.
But the Warriors are obviously no ordinary underdog. Even without Durant, they are more than capable of taking one — or even both — games in Toronto. It certainly wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world to take them and their uncharacteristically favourable odds in Game 1.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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