What a fantastic Game 5 of the NBA Finals it was with the Golden State Warriors pegging one back on the Toronto Raptors to now trail by just one game in the series. We now turn our attention to Game 6, which is on Friday morning (AEST). Check out our preview and best bets for the pivotal clash below.
NBA Finals Game 6 Betting Tips
As mentioned above, it was a fantastic Game 5 win for the Warriors, but one that was marred by a terrible Achilles injury to superstar Kevin Durant. It’ll be interesting to see how the Warriors respond from such terrible news and whether or not they can level up the series and force a Game 7!
Golden State Warriors
The Warriors looked at their devastating best with 2x Finals MVP Kevin Durant in the lineup for Game 5. He started off in fine form hitting his first three shots from three-point range, but then obviously went down with a horrific injury and will miss an extended period of time. The silver lining from a Warriors point of view is they’ve already played a lot of this post-season without Durant in the team, which means there won’t be too many drastic adjustments.
DeMarcus Cousins’ huge performance in Game 5 will probably see him injected into the starting line-up for Game 6, joining the likes of Green, Igoudala, and the Splash Brothers. The loss of KD means Steph Curry will be the main threat on offence and will have the ball in his hands more often than not. As we all know, Curry flourishes when he’s the number one man and will have extra motivation in a do-or-die Game 6. His points line has been set at 32.5 at most major bookmakers, which we believe is too short considering the circumstances. Expect Curry to have a huge game and cover his spread here.
Steph Curry Over 32.5 Points
$1.88
Toronto Raptors
Now looking at the Raptors who will be devastated that they weren’t able to close out the series at home in Game 5. They had the final shot of the game in the form of a Kyle Lowry corner three, which obviously didn’t go in and now the series goes on and heads back to the Bay Area. Kawhi Leonard was kept quiet for most of the game, apart from a spurt in the fourth quarter where he scored 10 consecutive Raptors points.
We don’t expect too much of an adjustment from Coach Nick Nurse in Game 6, although they will have to do a much better job of getting their main man, Kawhi Leonard, open looks earlier in the contest. If you’re keen on a play on one of the Raptors players, then we recommend looking at the Serge Ibaka points line (8.5). He’s playing full of confidence at the moment and has score 20 and 15 points in Games 5 and 6, respectively.
Serge Ibaka Over 8.5 Points
$1.74
Prediction
Turning our focus to the head-to-head markets where the Warriors open as slight favourites. As we're all aware, the Warriors lost both home games in this series and have lost all three at home against the Raptors if you include the regular season. As impressive as this is, we just don’t see them doing it for a fourth time. This will be the final time the Warriors play in Oracle Arena, and the fans will be full of energy to celebrate the occasion. The Warriors will also be inspired by Kevin Durant’s heroics in Game 5, which we believe will equate to a win and a cover of the spread for the home side.
Golden State Warriors -2.5
$1.92
