Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors Picks, Predictions, Odds

Michael Crosson Sports Betting Expert

4 minute read

Regular season NBA action will resume on Tuesday night with a compelling Western Conference showdown between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors. Coverage begins from Chase Center in San Francisco at 10:00 p.m. ET on TNT.

Updated on 04/25/2024

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LOS ANGELES LAKERS vs. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS BETTING PREDICTION

The Lakers finished 11^th in the West with a record of 33-49 last season, as L. A. fell victim to the injury bug for a second straight season, highlighted by Anthony Davis missing 42 of those contests and Lebron missing 26 of them. It’s easy to make excuses for the Lakers, but why bother? This is one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the league, and they’ve done very little to address that concern. Sure, Lebron and AD will be much healthier to start the season, but they still lack the perimeter shooting to stand toe-to-toe with sharpshooting lineups like Golden State.

The Warriors, on the other hand, rode quite the rollercoaster last year, as Golden State opened with a red-hot 41-13 run before countering their successes with a head-scratching 12-16 skid to close the regular season. However, Golden State snapped out of its funk once the playoffs started, as the Warriors cruised their fourth NBA title in the last eight years with an impressive postseason record of 18-6, with none of their series reaching a seventh game, and just two reaching a sixth game.

I’ll take the under here, as Golden State should ultimately win this contest, however, seven points is a bit heavy for opening night, and I think there’s a better chance we see a relatively low-scoring battle between a Warriors squad that surrendered just 106 PPG at the defensive end last season, and a Lakers squad that ranked 21^st in the league in three-point percentage and 18^th in three-pointers made per game (35% 3FG, 12 3PM).

Score Prediction: Warriors 114, Lakers 106
Best Bet: Under 226.5 (-110)

LOS ANGELES LAKERS vs. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS BETTING ODDS

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LOS ANGELES LAKERS vs. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS BETTING RESOURCES

Date: Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022
Matchup: Pacific
Venue: Chase Center
Location: San Francisco, California
Time-TV: TNT, 10:00 p.m. ET

LOS ANGELES LAKERS BETTING ANALYSIS

The Lakers entered last season with sky high expectations after adding nine-time All-Star Russell Westbrook to a core roster that’s already proven capable of competing for an NBA title. However, Westbrook was their only healthy marquee player that stayed healthy last year, as Lebron and AD both missed roughly half the season due to injury, which never really gave this new-look squad a chance to gel, and a losing record was the result.

People love to point fingers at Westbrook for the Lakers’ struggles, myself included, but it’s not his fault. This is a squad that desperately needs three-point shooting, and they’ve been lacking in that department for several years now. But instead of addressing that concern, they decided to part ways with the last few perimeter threats on the roster in favor of recruiting Westbrook, who’s shot worse than 30% from long range in four of his last five campaigns. So, is it really Westbrook’s fault for doing the same thing in L. A.?

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS BETTING ANALYSIS

When healthy, Golden State is the most dangerous team in the West, and there’s no getting around it. No matter what scenario is presented, the Warriors almost always have a counter up their sleeve. Obviously, they can outshoot all the powerhouse offensive teams like the Bucks and Nets, but they also thrive against blue collar defensive squads like the Heat and Celtics.

At its core, the NBA is a make-or-miss league, and the Warriors are the best shot-makers in the league. However, the NBA season is also a marathon, and a lot can be determined by which teams stay healthiest and who’s gelling at the right time. That said, the Warriors have been to six of the last eight NBA Finals, and Klay Thompson suffered season-ending injuries both years they didn’t go during that timeframe. So, it’s tough to argue against Golden State getting tagged as the preseason favorite to win the West at +300.

LOS ANGELES LAKERS vs. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS BETTING TRENDS

• The total has gone OVER in nine of LA Lakers' last 13 games.
• The Lakers are 2-8 SU in their last 10 games.
• The Lakers are 3-17 SU in their last 20 road games.
• The Warriors are 4-1 ATS in their last five games.
• The total has gone UNDER in four of Golden State's last five games.
• The Warriors are 4-1 SU in their last five games.
• The total has gone OVER in four of the last five matchups between the Lakers and Warriors.
• The Warriors are 13-1 SU in their last 14 home games.
• The Lakers are 4-14 SU in their last 18 road games against Golden State.

Michael Crosson

Michael Crosson began his time at VegasInsider as a freelance NBA writer back in 2019 while he continued to study Psychology and Biology at James Madison University. Following his graduation in 2021, Michael joined the team full-time, and he's been with VI ever since. Michael still writes NBA, NFL, and MLB for VI, as well as gambling industry news. He's also become a crucial part of our editorial production team. More from Michael Crosson