Preview and pick for the opening game of the NBA Western Conference Finals

The big news as we approach Game 1 of the NBA Western Conference finals involves the non-availability of Kevin Durant, a two-time playoff MVP who has to sit this one out because of a calf strain. The Golden State Warriors have demonstrated that they can rise to the occasion without him, but for how long?

On Tuesday night they are facing a team that is sky-high but perhaps a little fatigued. The Portland Trail Blazers came up with a huge clutch performance in defeating the Denver Nuggets on the road in Game 7 of their series, but now they have to turn around with just one day off and play this game, while the Warriors did wrap up against the Houston Rockets one game earlier.

The stage is set for the opener, tipping off at 9 PM ET at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, televised by ESPN.

And while BetAnySports customers are watching it, they can place wagers while the game is in progress, using what is available through Live Betting Ultra.

And in the NBA playoff lines posted on this game, with reduced juice, the Warriors are laying points:

Golden State Warriors -7.5 (-108)
Portland Trail Blazers +7.5 (-102)

Over 219 points (-105)
Under 219 points (-105)

Without Durant, there is some lineup juggling for the Warriors, and even though he doesn't have an especially deep bench to draw upon, head coach Steve Kerr nonetheless has some options. For example, he could start Andrew Bogut, as he did in Game 6 against Houston. Or he could go with Kevon Looney, who can be a big help on the boards. Or he can go "small" with Draymond Green, who may turn out to be the best matchup of all against what Portland brings to the table.

The Blazers have been playing without Jusuf Nurkic, one of those centers who is not necessarily an interchangeable part. So they have had to make things happen with the combination of Enes Kanter, who has been observing Ramadan, and Zach Collins, the seven-foot youngster out of Gonzaga who had two 14-point efforts in the last series. Kanter has battled through his injuries and his fasting, and he's been going great guns, playing almost 40 minutes in the Game 7 over Denver, with 13 points and 13 rebounds.

For what it's worth, there were 61 possessions this season where Green was guarding either Kanter or Collins, and they have produced just four points out of that. The W's were +23 against the Blazers with Green on the floor this season and minus-8 without him. Golden State was actually better without Looney against Portland, statistically speaking, so it would make sense for Green to play a lot of minutes, generally in a lineup with Steph Curry (who's averaged 27.5 ppg lifetime vs. Portland), Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala.

Some teams are very good when they come off a loss, and there are those who are very good when coming back from a made basket on the part of the other team. The Warriors fit that description; they have tallied 1.19 points per possession after the opponent scores, and that is easily the best mark of any team that is still in the playoffs. This puts pressure on what might be a tired Portland team, for certain.

And that's not the only thing. The most significant injury in Game 1 may not be that of Durant, or Nurkic, for that matter. You see, the Blazers' starting lineup has been outscored by 39 points during the playoffs. So if they can get an edge out of the second unit, it would be big for them. Evan Turner can be useful and Seth Curry is a real good three-point shooter like his brother. But the guy who can come in and erupt with a big game is Rodney Hood, who has bounced around a lot but can, in the words of some pundits, "score the basketball."

Hood is nursing a bad knee, which leaves him questionable for Tuesday night's action. If he can't go, that's a big blow. We kind of like the matchup for Golden State with the small lineup, not to mention the numbers for this team when Curry plays and Durant sits (30-4 SU, 22-12 ATS). Take note that in those situations, the Warriors have also been heavily "under" (23-11). Portland, we believe, will try to force the slower pace. So if you were looking for a parlay, we're laying the points and going under the 219-point total.

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