The Oklahoma City Thunder are set to take on the Golden State Warriors on the road at 9 p.m. CST this Friday, January 2, 2026. The Thunder come into the matchup with an impressive record of 29-5 after decisively beating the Portland Trail Blazers 124-95 at home on Wednesday. However, they will be without center Isaiah Hartenstein, who is sidelined due to a right soleus strain.
On the other hand, the Golden State Warriors, currently 18-16, managed a narrow victory of 132-125 against the Charlotte Hornets in their last game but face significant challenges heading into Friday’s contest. Key players, including Stephen Curry (left ankle sprain), Jimmy Butler (illness), and Draymond Green (rest) are not expected to play, which may severely impact their performance.
Fans looking to watch the game can tune in via the FanDuel Sports Network or stream it on Prime Video.
Predictions for the contest lean heavily towards the Thunder, with analysts noting the Warriors’ struggles, particularly in managing turnovers—ranking 28th in the NBA with an average of 16.2 per game. The Thunder, conversely, excel in forcing turnovers, standing first in the league by generating 18.1 turnovers per game and scoring 24.7 points off those turnovers. Justin Martinez, a sports journalist, predicts a score of OKC 120, Golden State 104, citing the Warriors’ depleted roster as a critical factor.
In terms of betting odds from BetMGM, the Thunder are favored by 13.5 points, with an over/under set at 226.5. This reflects the current expectations for a lopsided game, given the respective team conditions.
Injury reports suggest multiple absences affecting both teams. Alongside Hartenstein, the Thunder will also miss Brooks Barnhizer (G League two-way), Ousmane Dieng (right calf strain), Thomas Sorber (right ACL surgery recovery), Nikola Topić (surgery recovery), and Jaylin Williams (right heel bursitis). Meanwhile, the Warriors will be without several key players, including Butler, Curry, Green, and Jonathan Kuminga (low back soreness).
As the Thunder gear up for this matchup, they will look to leverage their defensive strengths and take full advantage of the situation presented by Golden State’s injuries to continue their winning momentum.