A Western Conference showdown features the Los Angeles Lakers (25-31) and the Golden State Warriors (28-27) colliding on Saturday night. This will be the second contest of the season between the teams, with Golden State securing a 123-109 victory on Oct. 18. The Warriors are currently the No. 7 seed in the West, meanwhile, Los Angeles is sitting in the 13th spot. Stephen Curry (leg) is out for Golden State. LeBron James (ankle) is out for Los Angeles, while Anthony Davis (foot) is probable. D'Angelo Russell is expected to play for the Lakers for the first time since being acquired via trade this week.
Tipoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET at the Chase Center in San Francisco. Caesars Sportsbook lists Golden State as the 5.5-point favorite in the latest Lakers vs. Warriors odds. The over/under for total points is set at 235.5. Before making any Warriors vs. Lakers picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
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 enters Week 17 of the 2022-23 NBA season on a stunning 52-28 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $2,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Lakers vs. Warriors and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Now, here are several NBA odds and betting lines and trends for Warriors vs. Lakers:
- Lakers vs. Warriors spread: Warriors -5.5
- Lakers vs. Warriors over/under: 235.5 points
- Lakers vs. Warriors money line: Warriors -225, Lakers +185
- LAL: Lakers are 6-2 ATS in their last eight Saturday games
- GSW: Over is 4-0 in the Warriors' last four overall
- Lakers vs. Warriors picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Lakers can cover
With James out, Russell should have plenty of opportunities in his return to the Lakers. The 26-year old out of Ohio State is beginning his second stint with the Lakers after originally being the No. 2 overall pick by them in the 2015 NBA Draft. He appeared in 143 games for Los Angeles between 2015-2017 before being traded to the Nets before the 2017-18 season.
This year Russell had been averaging 17.9 points for the Timberwolves. Davis appears set to be in the lineup and he's averaging 25.3 points, 13 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game this month. The Lakers also have acquired players such as Malik Beasley and Rui Hachimura leading up to the deadline as they look to build a more competitive roster. Even without James, they could be equipped to at least keep this one within the number facing an opponent missing its own superstar.
Why the Warriors can cover
The Warriors will miss Curry, but Klay Thompson has stepped up in a huge way, scoring a combined 73 points in the past two games. Andrew Wiggins, meanwhile, plays great defense on the wings and owns the quickness to consistently get into the lane. The Kansas product absorbs contact and can space the floor. Wiggins logs 16.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. In his last matchup, he finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds and four steals.
Forward Jonathan Kuminga provides Golden State with an explosive scorer in the open court. Kuminga can glide to the rack and has the size (6'7) to soar over defenders. The 2021 first-round pick is best when he's playing downhill. He averages 8.4 points and shoots 49% from the floor. On Feb. 2, Kuminga tallied 17 points and seven boards.
How to make Lakers vs. Warriors picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 238 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits almost 60% of the time. You can only see the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Warriors vs. Lakers? And which side of the spread hits almost 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.
