Cavaliers vs Warriors Odds, Preview and Picks

• The NBA-best Warriors visit the Cavaliers on Thursday, November 18th
• Golden State is a heavy 8.5-point road favorite
• Find the odds, preview, and pick below

Stephen Curry and the red-hot Golden State Warriors continue their four-game road trip on Thursday, November 18th as they face the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. Tip-off is set for 7:30pm ET.

The Dubs are coming off a statement victory over Kevin Durant’s Brooklyn Nets, beating them by an impressive 18 points.

Cleveland, on the other hand, has dropped two consecutive contests to the Celtics and most recently, the Nets on Wednesday.

Golden State is currently riding an eight-game winning streak against the Cavs which dates back to January of 2017.

Cavaliers vs Warriors Odds

Odds as of November 17th at Fanduel.

Injuries Taking Toll on Cavs

Cleveland made numerous moves in the offseason that have paid off early in the campaign. Evan Mobley has flashed the makings of a future star, while Ricky Rubio and Lauri Markkanen have made their presence felt. However, JB Bickerstaff’s squad was handed a real blow with Mobley set to miss 2-4 weeks due to an elbow sprain. Since he went on the shelf, the Cavaliers are winless through two games.

Cleveland Cavaliers Rookie Evan Mobley will miss 2-to-4 weeks with right elbow sprain.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 16, 2021

On top of his absence, Collin Sexton is out indefinitely after tearing his meniscus and Markkanen has COVID-19. While this is far from ideal for Cleveland, Mobley’s injury could hurt them even more because there isn’t exactly a player who can replace his production.

The former USC standout is averaging 14.6 points, eight rebounds, and 2.5 assists on 50% shooting from the field. On both ends of the court, he’s been terrific for his squad and is an early frontrunner for Rookie of the Year.

While the Cavs did lose by 10 to Brooklyn on Wednesday, they did show guts. Cleveland went into halftime down by 20 but proceeded to outscore the Nets 32-19 in the third quarter. The backcourt showed out in this game, with Darius Garland erupting for 24 points while Rubio poured in 25.

However, outside of the guard duo, the rest of the rotation struggled to get going. Jarrett Allen also missed his second straight contest due to a non-COVID-19 illness and he’ll likely be doubtful on Thursday. If he does sit once again, it will be a huge blow to the Cavs who are already dealing with numerous key absences.

Missing their entire starting frontcourt against a Warriors club with the best defensive unit in the Association will make this game a very tough task.

Dubs Flying High

It’s extremely early in the season, but the Warriors are looking like a legitimate contender. They currently boast a 12-2 record and sit top two in the Association in offensive and defensive rating. Steph Curry is annihilating his competition once again, posting averages of 28.7 point (2nd), 6.3 rebounds, and 6.6 dimes on 40% shooting from downtown. He’s received lots of help as well with the emergence of Jordan Poole and Damion Lee.

Chef Curry was on full display vs. the Nets 👨‍🍳 @StephenCurry30 pic.twitter.com/0k6FrJnxLO

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 17, 2021

However, Curry is dealing with a hip contusion at the moment and is listed as questionable for Thursday’s contest in Cleveland. If he is sidelined, expect Poole to have a lot more opportunities to run the offense. Golden State put together a fantastic performance on Tuesday night against a potential Finals contender in the Nets.

Steph willed his squad to a big victory, dropping 37 points while going 9-for-14 from long range. Although the Dubs star was the leading catalyst, it was truly an all-around performance, with four of their five starters finishing in double-digits.

The Warriors were dominant inside, outscoring Brooklyn 52-42 and outrebounding them 53-38. Steve Kerr’s group was sloppy at times, however, committing 21 turnovers but still managed to win by 18. That’s a prime example of just how dominant Golden State was in this game, even limiting KD to a mere 19 points. Coming into Thursday, the Warriors at 4-1 on the road but just 3-2 ATS away from the Chase Center.

Cavaliers vs Warriors Prediction

Cleveland is thin right now, but if Golden State is actually without Steph, it’s going to give Bickerstaff’s team a lot more of a chance to break their losing streak here. However, whether Curry plays or not, I still believe the Warriors will pull this one out. There are other pieces who are capable of stepping up and they will rise to the occasion.

Pick: Golden State Warriors -8.5 (-110)