This article is part of our NBA Picks series.
Welcome to the inaugural edition of the RotoWire NBA Best Bets Roundtable! Every Tuesday and Thursday, we'll be having writers parse out their favorite bet of the day.
Today, everyone has one game on their mind: Clippers at Warriors.
Alex Barutha: Clippers (-102) at Warriors -- FanDuel 12:24 AM Central Time Wednesday
The Warriors have earned the benefit of the doubt here with Steph Curry and Draymond Green. But I'm a believer in the Warriors under 48.0 wins, so I'm going to assume they lose this game to the Clippers, who looked dominant throughout much of Tuesday's game against the Lakers. Golden State's depth is truly horrible, and LA is full of proven role players. Green will probably guard Kawhi Leonard, but that leaves literally everyone else on the Clippers with an easy matchup. Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell should cook again.
Ken Crites: Clippers (-102) at Warriors -- FanDuel Wed 10:38am ET
The Warriors suddenly have a starting lineup that includes Glenn Robinson and D'Angelo Russell. Plus Kevon Looney, who only had 24 starts last season. That's a lot of new parts to quickly gel. Kawhi and the "Founding Fathers" looked great in what sounded like a road game Tuesday. I'm banking on the Warriors having a rough October.
James Anderson: Clippers (-102) at Warriors -- FanDuel 12:57 PM CT Wednesday
Betting against the Warriors should be a solid play all season. They are one of the most public teams in the league, which affects the line, but they are also overrated by analysts who I believe are underestimating the damage playing sub-rotation players can have on an NBA team. They are the shallowest team in the league and the Clippers might be the league's deepest team, so when Stephen Curry and/or Draymond Green are off the court, the Clippers should go absolutely nuts. Golden State has the personnel to neutralize the Clippers' big men, but I think Lou Williams and Kawhi Leonard will go off with relative ease. The Warriors no longer have the personnel to implement their switching scheme, which will free up Leonard even when Green starts the possession on him. Additionally, Patrick Beverly has a better chance of slowing Curry down, or at least making him uncomfortable, than most point guards.
Zack Osell: Warriors (+102) vs. Clippers -- Fanduel 9:52 PM Central
The Warriors lost Kevin Durant over the offseason to free agency, but they're opening the 2019-20 campaign at home and will be eager to show their fans that they're not a team to mess with sans Durant. They also have this guy named Steph Curry — you may have heard of him. This is Curry's year to show he can carry his squad, and I can't see him disappointing on opening night. The Clippers showcased their new and improved lineup during Tuesday's win over the Lakers, but they're going to take a step back in the second contest of the season, with Draymond Green a candidate to spend a good chunk of his minutes keeping Kawhi Leonard in check.
Nick Whalen: Clippers at Warriors UNDER 225.0pts -- DraftKings 10:30am CT Thursday
After the last half-decade, I know it seems counter-intuitive to bet the under when the Warriors are involved, but this is a very different team than the one that's bulldozed through the West over the last five years. The most important piece is still there in Steph Curry, but the roster around him -- the addition of D'Angelo Russell aside -- is among the least-inspiring in the league. When Curry is off the floor, the Warriors will have trouble generating quality looks. And that could even be the case when he's on the floor, as opponents will likely swarm Curry and force Golden State's cast of non-shooters and borderline-G-Leaguers to beat them. On top of those issues, the Warriors take on what projects to be among the best defensive units in the league. Even without Paul George, the Clippers held the Lakers to just 102 points in Tuesday's opener. The Lakers registered an offensive rating of 107.0 -- roughly on par with last season's Cleveland Cavaliers offense. It's a small sample, of course, but I expect a similarly suffocating effort from the Clippers on Thursday.
