No Steph Curry became a big problem for the Golden State Warriors. After winning the series opener with Curry playing only eight minutes, the Minnesota Timberwolves pounced on the short-handed Warriors for a decisive 117-93 victory to even the series.
Golden State will look to return the favor on Saturday in a pivotal Game 3 matchup. The Warriors can ill-afford to fall behind the Timberwolves, needing to secure a victory to ensure Curry – who is ruled out for at least four more days – can return to action in this series.
Minnesota could again pounce on the Curry-less Warriors. Can Golden State win without its best player? We’ll cover that and provide our three favorite player prop bets for Saturday’s Western Conference semifinal action.
Without Golden State’s star, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr inserted Buddy Hield into the team’s starting lineup. He responded with a 15-point effort, hitting four of his nine three-point shots on the evening.
Hield will continue to be one of the featured scorers for the Warriors on Saturday night. Bettors should expect him to easily eclipse the 15-point mark for the fourth straight outing to cover this player prop wager.
Entering the postseason, Minnesota guard Anthony Edwards was known for his scoring ability. The former No. 1 pick had been pouring 27.6 points per night, finishing fourth in the league during the regular season.
In the playoffs, he’s become a rebounding machine. The 6-foot-4 guard has pulled in 65 rebounds in seven games, including an astonishing 14 boards in his team’s series-opening loss. Expect him to finish with at least eight again for the sixth straight game, covering this player prop bet.
When the Warriors suddenly needed someone to step up without Curry in the lineup, veteran star Jimmy Butler did just that. The 6-foot-7 athlete finished with a double-double, recording 20 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists to lead Golden State to victory.
His second opportunity to be the Warriors’ main man wasn’t as strong, notching just 17 points, seven rebounds, and four assists in his team’s blowout loss. Unfortunately, bettors shouldn’t expect him to have a better showing despite returning home. Take the under on this combo prop bet.
The Timberwolves have the fourth-best record in the NBA away from home, having won 26 games in the regular season and playoffs combined. Going to Chase Arena for a postseason game is not a daunting task for Minnesota.
With Curry, this line would not be so heavily tilted toward the Timberwolves. While Butler and company will put up a strong fight, Minnesota will win this game by at least six points to take the series lead.