Preview: Golden State Warriors vs. San Antonio Spurs: Player props, injury report and prediction | NBA

San Antonio Spurs, riding a 10-game winning streak, host Golden State Warriors at Frost Bank Center in an NBA Cup West Group C meeting on Friday night, with Stephen Curry's abdominal injury hanging over the visitors.

The Spurs are 10-2 and second in the Western Conference standings, while the Warriors are 8-4 and sixth after a 115-108 defeat at Houston on Wednesday, a game Curry left after six minutes with right abdominal soreness.

What is the form like for Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs?

Form Guide (Last 5)

Golden State Warriors

8-4 · 6th in the West

WWWWL

121.6

PPG

106.8

Opp PPG

+14.8

Diff

1 day

Rest

San Antonio Spurs

10-2 · 2nd in the West

WWWWW

121.4

PPG

107.6

Opp PPG

+13.8

Diff

1 day

Rest

San Antonio have won 10 straight, and across their last five games they have averaged 121.4 points scored and 107.6 conceded, a differential of +13.8.

The run nearly stalled on Wednesday, when they trailed Chicago by 22 points before winning 124-119 behind 32 points from Victor Wembanyama and 18 points, 10 assists and four steals from Dylan Harper.

The Warriors have the better numbers over the same stretch on paper, scoring 121.6 and conceding 106.8, although that figure is lifted by a 138-87 win over New Orleans, and the Houston defeat on Wednesday was their first of the stretch.

The season-long picture favours San Antonio at the defensive end, with a defensive rating of 108.3 against 110.9 for Golden State, and a net rating of +11.0 against +7.5.

Turnovers are the widest gap, since the Spurs give the ball away 12.4 times a game to the Warriors' 16.2, and Golden State needs that volume of possessions to feed an attack that makes 16.5 three-pointers a game against 12.3.

The Warriors are 2-3 on the road and concede 120.2 points a game away from home, and this is the second stop of a five-game road trip on the NBA schedule, with New Orleans, Dallas and Memphis to follow, while San Antonio are 4-2 at home and concede 108.7.

The streak flatters the Spurs slightly at home, where the average winning margin is +7.3, comfortably inside the 10.5-point spread they are asked to cover.

Their home games have also tended to stay low-scoring, with only two of six reaching 230 combined points, whereas four of the Warriors' five road games have, so the visitors will need to drag this one into a quicker game.

Golden State Warriors vs. San Antonio Spurs team news and rotations

Curry is questionable with right abdominal soreness and an MRI result is awaited, with Steve Kerr describing the concern level as high after the Houston game.

If the Warriors have to go without him, De'Anthony Melton is the likely replacement in the starting five, with Brandin Podziemski and Yaxel Lendeborg shouldering more of the offensive load.

Brandon Williams (hamstring), Moses Moody and Jimmy Butler (both knee) are out, Gary Payton II is day-to-day, and Kristaps Porzingis is away from the team, while Will Richard played through a splint on a torn thumb ligament on Wednesday.

San Antonio are close to full strength, with Devin Vassell (adductor) and Tobias Harris (calf) day-to-day after missing the win in Chicago, and Jayden Quaintance out with a knee problem.

Golden State Warriors vs. San Antonio Spurs, the matchups that could decide it

Key Matchups

Rim protection against the playmaking big

Victor Wembanyama

SAS

VS

Draymond Green

GSW

30.3

Wembanyama PPG

11.7

Wembanyama RPG

7.5

Green APG

4.9

Green RPG

Green starts at centre on the latest depth chart, so his passing from the high post is the Warriors' main way to pull Wembanyama away from the rim.

Backcourt scoring without Curry

Dylan Harper

SAS

VS

Brandin Podziemski

GSW

18.0

Harper PPG

4.8

Harper APG

17.3

Podziemski PPG

4.2

Podziemski APG

Both play more than 30 minutes a night and score at a near-identical rate, which makes this the cleanest like-for-like comparison on the floor.

Wembanyama against Draymond Green is the most intriguing duel, since the Spurs centre dominates the glass and the interior while Green offers almost nothing as a scorer but is the Warriors' best passer from the middle of the floor.

The second battle pairs Harper with Podziemski, two guards who play heavy minutes and score at near-identical rates, and the Warriors will lean harder on Podziemski's creation if Curry is out.

Which player props stand out for Golden State Warriors vs. San Antonio Spurs?

Player Props to Watch

Victor Wembanyama

SAS

ReboundsOver 10.5

11.7

Season avg

13.0

Last 5 avg

12

GP

The season average already clears the line and the last five games have been stronger still.

Dylan Harper

SAS

PointsOver 16.5

18.0

Season avg

17.6

Last 5 avg

12

GP

His scoring has stayed steady at this level and he is on the floor for more than 30 minutes a night.

Yaxel Lendeborg

GSW

ReboundsOver 6.5

7.4

Season avg

7.6

Last 5 avg

12

GP

He leads the Warriors in rebounding and plays more than 32 minutes a night.

Brandin Podziemski

GSW

PointsOver 15.5

17.3

Season avg

18.2

Last 5 avg

10

GP

More than 33 minutes a night and a creation role that grows if Curry is limited.

Golden State Warriors vs. San Antonio Spurs head-to-head record

The series was split 2-2 last season and the road side won all four meetings, with Golden State taking both games in San Antonio in November before the Spurs won twice at Chase Center in February and April.

Curry played in only the two Warriors wins, scoring 46 and 49 points, and the second of those was an NBA Cup game decided 109-108 by his free throws with six seconds left, a reminder of how much he changes these games.

San Antonio went on to reach the NBA Finals last season before losing 4-1 to the Knicks, so this meeting carries more weight for the Spurs than a typical early-season group game, with a Cup place at stake as well.

Our Golden State Warriors vs. San Antonio Spurs prediction

Wembanyama's rebounding and Golden State's depth shape the best angles, since San Antonio's 47.7 rebounds a game against 44.6 gives him plenty of chances while Lendeborg's 7.4 makes him the one Warriors forward who can keep pace on the glass.

Our read is a Spurs win, as the streak, the turnover edge and Wembanyama's form outweigh a stretched Warriors group, but a side with this much shooting is rarely out of a game by double figures, and Curry's status before tip-off is the one change that would shift the balance.