Warriors vs. Lakers Odds, Picks & Opening Night Prediction
Sports betting analyst Nick Galaida continues his preview of Opening Night, as the Los Angeles Lakers host the Golden State Warriors. Follow along as he breaks down Warriors vs. Lakers odds and delivers his own prediction (and free pick!) for Tuesday, October 19, 2021.
Warriors vs. Lakers Odds
| Warriors Odds | +3 |
| Lakers Odds | -3 |
| Over/Under | 227.5 |
| Date | Tuesday, Oct. 19 |
| Time | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | TNT |
On Tuesday evening, the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers will battle on opening night of the NBA season at the Staples Center. After years of championship appearances as the most dominant team in the NBA, the departure of Kevin Durant and the absence of Klay Thompson have kept Golden State from making a deep postseason run each of the last two seasons. Los Angeles won the 2020 NBA title in the bubble, but were eliminated in the first round of last year’s playoffs by the Phoenix Suns. Oddsmakers anticipate the Lakers to start the 2021-22 season on a high note, pricing Los Angeles as three-point home favorites on the spread.
Read more: Nets vs. Bucks Odds
Let’s take a closer look at the matchup between the two teams and see where NBA bettors can find value at sportsbooks for this late game in Los Angeles.
Golden State Warriors Preview
Stephen Curry was outstanding a season ago, leading the league in scoring with 32.0 points per game, in addition to securing 5.5 rebounds and dishing out 5.8 assists per night. Curry posted these sensational numbers, despite not having a legitimate second scorer on the roster, which meant that he had to deal with more defensive attention than any other player in the NBA. On opening night, Andrew Wiggins, who averaged 18.6 points per game last year, will be in the lineup as the second option on offense, but it is difficult to see where the rest of the points are going to come from for this team. Golden State’s third-leading scorer, “(player-popup #kelly-oubre)Kelly Oubre Jr departed in free agency. Klay Thompson remains sidelined as he works his way back from injury. Golden State ranked 20th in the NBA last year in offensive efficiency, scoring 110.5 points per 100 possessions. It could be a struggle for them to score points in this one.
Defensively, the Warriors are still well-coached and should have an excellent game plan for tonight’s contest against players with whom they are extremely familiar. Golden State ranked fifth in defensive efficiency during the 2020-2021 campaign. Expect Draymond Green and the rest of this group to be locked-in on this end of the floor in this one.
Los Angeles Lakers Preview
At the end of July, the Lakers acquired Russell Westbrook for a collection of role players and a few draft picks. Westbrook joins LeBron James, and Anthony Davis to form arguably the most star-studded roster in the league. Yet, the rest of the off-season additions are what bettors should be paying more attention to. Though the big three are a fearsome combination, Rob Pelinka has also done a masterful job filling out the rest of this roster with quality role players such as Malik Monk, Dwight Howard, Kent Bazemore, Carmelo Anthony, and Kendrick Nunn. Though the public perception is that this team is filled with mostly aging veterans with injury issues, Frank Vogel has the most depth he has had since taking over in Los Angeles and is more than capable of building a legitimate contender with these pieces.
Despite having LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the roster, the Lakers ranked a dreadful 24th in the NBA in offensive efficiency last year. They shot only 35.4 percent from beyond the arc. They could similarly struggle in the season opener from deep, as the Warriors ranked eighth in opponent three-point percentage during the 2020-2021 season. Still, Los Angeles will give themselves a strong chance to win this game due to their strong defensive culture. Even having dealt with numerous injuries last year, the Lakers led the league in defensive efficiency, allowing only 106.8 points per 100 possessions.
Warriors vs. Lakers Pick: Over or Under 227 Points?
Since opening at 230.5, the total on this game has been bet down to 227 at most sportsbooks. There is no shortage of big names in this matchup, with Curry, James, Davis, Westbrook, and Green all being recognizable stars. Golden State liked to get out and run last year, but they could get trapped into a slower pace tonight against a Lakers team that ranked 21st in pace during the 2020-2021 campaign. These two stout defenses should keep this game relatively low-scoring. I have this total priced at 223. Take the under.
PICKS: Under 227 (-110)
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