Lakers vs. Warriors Predictions, Odds, Preview

VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert

7 minute read

Mar. 15, 2021

by Jonathan Willis
NBA Expert
VegasInsider.com

Although the Los Angeles Lakers were off this weekend, they received some bad news on Sunday.

It was announced that Jared Dudley tore the MCL in his right knee on Sunday evening, and he will likely miss the remainder of the 2020-21 NBA season. That’s the latest in a string of injury blows for the Lakers.

Marc Gasol and Kostas Antetokounmpo will both miss at least two more games due to COVID, and star Anthony Davis is slated to miss at least two more weeks with a calf injury.

That means the Lakers will be shorthanded entering Monday night’s road game against the Golden State Warriors.

Lakers vs. Warriors Betting Resources

Matchup: Western Conference
Expert Picks: Vegas Insiders
Venue: Chase Center
Location: San Francisco, California
Date: Monday, Mar. 15, 2021
Time: 10:35 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Bet: BetMGM | betrivers |FanDuel |bet365 |DraftKings |Best Sportsbooks

Western Conference Betting Trends

Betting Odds - Lakers vs. Warriors

Line Movements

Subject to Change

Spread: Lakers -2.5
Money-Line: Lakers -135 Warriors +115
Total: 222.5

Golden State will be facing a back-to-back spot Monday and it's gone 3-5 both SU and ATS on no rest this season. (AP)

Lakers vs. Warriors Current Form-Last Game

Golden State had lost four straight games prior to Sunday afternoon’s victory over the league leading Utah Jazz.

The Warriors lost three consecutive road games before the All-Star Break, falling on the road to the Lakers, Trail Blazers, and Suns. They were hammered by the Clippers on Thursday night, getting outscored by 34 points in the second and third quarters, prior to yesterday’s victory.

Draymond Green posted a triple-double and Steph Curry led all scorers with 32 points in Sunday’s 131-119 win over Utah.

Rookie James Wiseman and Andrew Wiggins both had strong performances for the Warriors too in the win, doing a great job of getting off quality shots underneath. It was a rough game for Donovan Mitchell as he finished with a game-low plus/minus of -26.

The Lakers entered the All-Star Break on a two-game losing streak. Their injury woes played a big role in their downturn over the two weeks leading into the break, as the defending champions are 3-7 since Anthony Davis was knocked out of the lineup.

Kyle Kuzma helped lead the Lakers past the Indiana Pacers on Friday to halt the losing streak.

Kuzma poured in 15 points in the fourth quarter to end the evening with 24 points and 13 rebounds in a 105-100 win for LA.

LeBron James posted a double-double too with 18 points and 10 assists.

Lakers vs. Warriors Head-to-Head

Feb. 28, 2021 - Lakers 117 vs. Warriors 91, Los Angeles -2.5, Under 221
Jan. 18, 2021 - Warriors 115 at Lakers 113, Golden State +9, Over 225.5

(SU-Straight Up, ATS - Against the Spread, OU - Over-Under)

L.A. Lakers

Inside the Stats (2020-2021)

Overall: 25-13 SU, 18-20 ATS, 14-24 OU
Road: 13-5 SU, 10-8 ATS, 4-14 OU

LeBron James is going to have his work cut out for him on Monday. The Lakers haven’t looked nearly as good with James having to take on even larger roles given their injury issues. He is averaging 25.6 PPG, 7.9 RPG, and 7.8 APG, but he isn’t as able to drag his team to victories as he did with Cleveland throughout his 20s. James is making 50.7% of his field goals and 35.7% of his threes.

Offseason acquisition Dennis Schroder is averaging 14.8 PPG. He is the second leading scorer on the Lakers with Davis out, but he hasn’t been as efficient as the Lakers were hoping opposite James and Davis. Schroder is making 43.6% of his field goals and 31.8% of his threes.

More will be asked of Montrezl Harrell as Gasol, Davis, and other big men are out. Harrell has played over 30 minutes in each of the Lakers’ last two games. He is averaging 13.9 PPG and 6.4 RPG this year, but don’t be surprised if he sails over those numbers on Monday given his presumed workload. Harrell is making 62.9% of his field goals.

Second-year player Talen Horton-Tucker had a lot of buzz in the preseason after some great performances. However, he has not been as great since the season started. He had a decent first five weeks, but he is making under 25% of his threes and averaging under 7.0 PPG since early February.

Golden State Warriors Betting Outlook

Inside the Stats (2020-2021)

Overall: 20-19 SU, 19-20 ATS, 17-22 OU
Home: 13-6 SU, 12-7 ATS, 9-10 OU

Curry is one of the league’s leading scorers with 29.3 PPG on the season.

He is making 47.5% of his field goals and 40.6% of his threes, proving to be one of the most dangerous guards in the league. When he is on, he might be the toughest player to stop as he has unlimited range. His passing is great too, as he is averaging 6.2 APG and makes this offense even more difficult to defend because of his ability to find the open man.

Kelly Oubre Jr. was tasked with filling the injured Klay Thompson’s shoes opposite Curry. Oubre got off to a solid start this campaign, averaging 15.4 PPG and shooting decently, but his shooting percentages have dipped. He is now making 43.8% of his field goals and 31.8% of his threes. Oubre’s perimeter shooting has taken a hit in particular as he is 24% from beyond the arc over his last six games.

Adding Wiggins was a shrewd move last season. Wiggins is the second leading scorer on the Warriors behind Curry, averaging 16.9 PPG. He is more efficient than Oubre, making 46.2% of his shots and 34.9% of his treys on the season. Wiggins doesn’t provide much else, but this team does need another solid scorer with Draymond Green struggling on offense.

James Wiseman is starting to come into his own too. The rookie out of Memphis has scored at least 10 points in three straight games. He will need time to put it all together considering he only played three collegiate games, but the potential is there.

Green is only averaging 5.9 PPG and is making 39.2% of his field goals. He has been unable to hit from downtown, leading to him passing up good looks. However, the veteran plays superb defense and is averaging 6.0 RPG and 8.4 APG.

Key Injuries

L.A. Lakers

PF Anthony Davis: Calf – Out
C Marc Gasol: COVID – Out
PF Kostas Antetokounmpo: COVID – Out
SF Jared Dudley: Knee – Out
SF LeBron James: Ankle – Probable
SG Alex Caruso: Concussion – Questionable

Golden State Warriors

SF Marquese Chriss: Leg – Out