There are several long-standing rivalries in the NBA, but it’s always a little cool when a new one comes around. That is what we may be getting with the Golden State Warriors and the Oklahoma City Thunder, and it’s all because of one player. Kevin Durant spent a lot of years helping put OKC on the NBA map, and it was assumed that he would continue to do so when free agency arrived. He was tempted away, though, and now plies his trade with the Golden State Warriors. It was a bitter pill for the Thunder fans to swallow, and it’s going to be interesting to see how they react when he makes his first return to the Chesapeake Energy Arena on Saturday night. Will they give him a warm welcome, or will they turn the building into a hostile environment? The bigger question may be how Durant will perform, as you can bet there are going to be some nerves. This is a match-up definitely worth paying attention to. Find the updated NBA betting odds here.

Warriors At Thunder Spread, Expert Pick & TV Info

When: Saturday, February 11 at 8:30 PM EST Where: Chesapeake Energy Arena TV: ABC NBA Odds: TBA

Why bet on the Golden State Warriors

The Warriors are once again conducting business as usual, as they are tearing through the regular season at a ridiculous pace. They have only dropped 8 games so far this season, and are almost as consistently good on the road as they are at home. Coming into the weekend, the Warriors are sporting an 8-2 record in their last 10 games, but the doubts have to linger a little with this match-up. How is Durant going to hold up during this game? This question is actually more important given that the way thing are playing out, these two could end up meeting in the opening round of the playoffs. The Golden State Warriors will be the favorites for this one, but it could be an intense battle.

Why bet on the Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder may be sitting way down in the #7 seed in the Western Conference right now, but this is still a talented, very dangerous team. You can never count out a team that has Russell Westbrook in the line-up, and you certainly cannot count out a team that is 19-7 in their own building. Consistency has been an issue for OKC this season, but they are coming off a very impressive win against the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers a couple of nights ago. The one stat that may be a little troubling in this one is that the Thunder ae just 11-14 when playing teams that are .500 or better. It also doesn’t help that they have lost each of the last 5 meetings with the Warriors.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

This may well be the game of the weekend, if only because of the Kevin Durant factor. Realistically, I don’t think the Thunder can hang with the Dubs, although they may make it interesting in the early going.