NBA Betting Preview: Trail Blazers vs. Warriors Game 5 Odds, Analysis

The Golden State Warriors saw back-to-back NBA MVP Stephen Curry come off the bench Monday in Game 4 against the Portland Trail Blazers, and the plan was to limit him to 25 minutes to ease him back into action after his knee injury.

Instead, an ejection gave Curry the chance to play 37 minutes and lead Golden State to a 132-125 overtime victory at Portland.

The Warriors are 13-point home favorites in Wednesday's Game 5 at sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark, as they'll be trying to eliminate the Blazers.

Curry was named the first unanimous NBA MVP on Tuesday, one day after scoring a record 17 of his game-high 40 points during overtime against Portland in his return to action. Following a rough start that saw him miss his first nine attempts from beyond the arc, Curry ended up making 5-of-16 and 16-of-32 overall while also adding nine rebounds and eight assists.

The Warriors needed Curry to play additional minutes when Shaun Livingston, who started in his place, was ejected in the second quarter after arguing a non-call on a drive to the basket with referee Scott Foster and picking up two technicals.

As it turned out, Livingston’s ejection was a blessing in disguise for Golden State and a nightmare for the opposition. The Blazers did just about everything they could to even the series except make a game-winning shot at the end of regulation, with Damian Lillard missing a 19-foot jumper with 21 seconds remaining.

Curry then proceeded to miss an 11-footer in the final seconds, setting up a fantastic finish for him and his team in OT.

Portland got off to a blazing start in Game 4, scoring 16 of the first 18 points before Curry entered the contest with 5:58 left in the first quarter. But the Warriors showed why they are the defending league champions when they outscored the Blazers 29-18 in the third quarter to take an 86-85 lead into the fourth.

Lillard and C.J. McCollum combined to score 60 points on 18-of-53 shooting (34 percent), and they will need to find a way to improve upon that performance if they are going to help their team host a Game 6.

Golden State has won 11 of the past 14 meetings both straight up and against the spread, according to the Odds Shark NBA Database. The over is 11-3 in those games for totals bettors on the NBA odds board.