One of the more intriguing NBA matchups on Thursday evening takes place at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The Golden State Warriors visit the Los Angeles Lakers in the first game after the All-Star break for both sides. Golden State is 29-29 this season, while Los Angeles is 27-32 overall and 14-14 at home. Stephen Curry (leg), Andrew Wiggins (personal), Gary Payton II (adductor), and Andre Iguodala (hip) are out for the Warriors. LeBron James (foot) and Anthony Davis (foot) are listed as probable for the Lakers.
Tipoff is at 10 p.m. ET in Los Angeles. Caesars Sportsbook lists Los Angeles as the 5.5-point home favorite, while the over/under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 238.5 in the latest Warriors vs. Lakers odds. Before making any Lakers vs. Warriors picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past four-plus seasons. The model exits the NBA All-Star break on a stunning 55-30 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $2,100. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Warriors vs. Lakers and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Lakers vs. Warriors:
Warriors vs. Lakers spread: Lakers -5.5Warriors vs. Lakers over/under: 238.5 pointsWarriors vs. Lakers money line: Lakers -225, Warriors +185GSW: The Warriors are 8-20 against the spread in road gamesLAL: The Lakers are 14-14 against the spread in home gamesWarriors vs. Lakers picks: See picks at SportsLine
Featured Game | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors
Why the Warriors can cover
The Warriors have clear offensive strengths by the numbers. Golden State is scoring 114.2 points per 100 possessions this season, landing above the league average, and the Warriors lead the NBA in assist percentage (69.3%) and assists per game (29.9). Golden State is also in the top eight of the NBA in overall shooting efficiency while leading the league with 16.6 3-pointers per game.
The Warriors shoot 38.6% from beyond the arc and 56.3% from 2-point range, and Golden State is averaging nearly 15 fast break points per game. The Warriors do struggle with ball security, but the Lakers are in the bottom five of the NBA in turnovers created (12.8 per game) and steals (6.4 per game) on defense. On the other end, Golden State is facing a Los Angeles team that struggles from 3-point range at 33.7%, and the Lakers are also below-average on the offensive glass.
Why the Lakers can cover
Los Angeles should benefit from this particular situation. Golden State is a poor team away from San Francisco, posting a 7-22 record and a -6.3 net rating this season. The Warriors are also weakened by injury-related absences, headlined by Curry and Wiggins. The Warriors have been out-scored by 4.6 points per 100 possessions with Curry off the floor this season, and the Lakers project to be at close to full strength with both James and Davis listed as probable.
Los Angeles is also dynamic in key areas on offense. The Lakers are averaging 26.0 free throw attempts per game, No. 3 in the NBA, and Los Angeles is in the top five of the league in fast break points (16.7 per game) and points in the paint (56.0 per game. With the Lakers also shooting 48.2% from the field and 55.8% from 2-point range, Los Angeles projects to be effective at home.
How to make Lakers vs. Warriors picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 242 points. The model also says one side hits almost 70% of the time. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Warriors vs. Lakers? And which side hits almost 70% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.
