Lakers vs. Warriors: NBA odds, Picks and Predictions
Lakers vs. Warriors Odds
| Lakers Odds | +2.5 |
| Warriors Odds | -2.5 |
| Over/Under | 238 |
| Date | Sat, Feb. 11 |
| Time | 8:30 p.m. |
| TV | ABC |
Saturday’s NBA slate is highlighted by a marquee matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors. Entering play, Los Angeles (25-31) owns the third-worst record in the Western Conference. Golden State (28-27) owns a play-in position in the standings. Tonight, oddsmakers are expecting a tightly-contested affair between these two teams, pricing the Warriors as 2.5-point home favorites on the spread.
Los Angeles Lakers
Davis healthy
Since Anthony Davis returned to the floor on January 25th, the Lakers have been far from elite. In that span, they are 3-4 in games that Davis plays. In eight games overall, Los Angeles ranks 24th in offensive efficiency and 16th in defensive efficiency, despite having played a few weak opponents – such as the San Antonio Spurs, short-handed New York Knicks, short-handed New Orleans Pelicans, and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Expect the Scoring King to facilitate the action
According to CourtIQ, LeBron James is averaging 33.0 points per 36 minutes of action this season when Davis is off of the floor, compared to 25.0 points per 36 minutes with Davis on the court. Though James scored 38 points this past Tuesday against the Thunder, that had far more to do with securing the NBA’s all-time scoring record than it did with operating within the normal confines of the offense. Now that James is no longer chasing history, expect his scoring to regress slightly in the coming weeks.
If you are not in a state with legal sports betting, you can target LeBron James player props using our No House Advantage promo code in a DFS game.
Golden State Warriors
Curry OUT
Tonight, Curry will miss his third consecutive game due to injury. In Golden State’s first two games without Curry, they beat the Thunder by 27 points and lost to the Trail Blazers by three points.
Overall this season, the Warriors are 20-18 with Curry in the lineup, and 8-9 with him in street clothes. Per Cleaning the Glass, the team ranks in the 89th percentile in offensive efficiency and the 67th percentile in defensive efficiency with Curry on the floor this year, compared to the 22nd percentile in offensive efficiency and the 37th percentile in defensive efficiency when he is on the sidelines.
Who will step up for the Warriors?
Per CourtIQ, Jordan Poole (+5.1%) sees the largest increase in usage when Curry is not on the floor this year. In these situations, he is averaging 28.2 points and 5.4 assists per 36 minutes of action.
Andrew Wiggins is another candidate to see an increased workload in this spot. Dating back to last year, Wiggins is averaging 18.3 points per 36 minutes of action in a sample size of over 1,000 minutes with Curry off of the floor. Wiggins, who typically performs better at home, is likely to have a strong performance this evening.
Lakers vs. Warriors – Picks & Predictions
Though the Lakers have not played particularly well of late, they have a rested LeBron James and a healthy Anthony Davis for this prime time affair against a Stephen Curry-less Warriors team. Davis is an extreme mismatch for Golden State in the paint and figures to have a big night on the boards. Across their last eight games, the Lakers rank fourth in opponent three-point field goal percentage, which is the main strength of this Warriors’ offensive attack. If James and company can defend the perimeter well on Saturday, there is a good chance that they walk out of the Chase Center with a victory tonight.
PICK: Lakers ML (+120, PointsBet)
Image Credit: Getty Images