The Depths of the Play-In Pit, Warriors Face Lakers
Warriors vs Lakers Odds, Matchup and More
Warriors vs Lakers odds opened with Golden State as 3.5-point underdogs, which would get taken down to two points by bettors. The total of 236.5 would also see action to the under, dropping to 234.5. Let’s look at NBA predictions today and some NBA spreads and see where we can find an edge.
The two greatest players of this generation will face off in another classic this Saturday. This will be the 40th duel between Stephen Curry and LeBron James in their careers (including playoffs), and Steph currently has the lead over LeBron at 27-22.
Unfortunately for NBA fans, on Saturday, we won’t see the two best players in the league leading their juggernaut teams as we did in the 2015-2018 NBA finals. This time, we are witnessing two aging (but still great) stars and their mediocre teams scratch and fight for a playoff spot.
Right now, the Lakers are the ninth seed, and the Warriors are tenth in the NBA West standings. The five through ten seeds in the West are still pretty close, and both NBA teams are holding out hope to escape the Play-In Tournament.
Warriors vs Lakers 
Day/Time:
Records: Warriors (34-31)/Lakers (36-31)
Location: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California
Streaming: ABC
Praise King Wardell
Warriors fans can breathe a sigh of relief because it sounds like Wardell Stephen Curry II is set to return from a three-game absence on Saturday. The Warriors, who need every win they can get, sputtered in his absence, losing a winnable game against San Antonio and going 1-2 while Curry sat.
Even at age 36 (Happy Belated Stephen!) Curry can still compete with the best. We are only one season removed from when he dragged an under-talented Warriors through the playoffs for a fourth NBA championship in eight years. Warriors fans are hoping he can muster up some similar magic this season.
Curry has actually upped his scoring average and field goal percentage from that season and is scoring almost 27 points per game.
In the five games before Steph went down, the Warriors were 4-1 and 4-1 ATS. On the other hand, the Warriors are only 5-5 ATS in their last ten games against the Lakers. The Warriors being underdogs is interesting, but we know LeBron will try his best to ruin Curry’s return.
“Dad, tell me about LeBron James’ era”
Me: pic.twitter.com/K9gZLG0iN8
— Die-Hard Chicago Bulls Fans (@DieHardCBfans) March 10, 2024
Old Man Got Game
The Lakers dropped a key game to the Sacramento Kings Wednesday, the Kings completed their four-game sweep of their California cousin. Despite LeBron James almost logging another triple-double, LeBron struggled offensively, shooting 6-of-16 from the field.
Rui Hachimura, Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves picked up the scoring slack, scoring 20, 22 and 28 points respectively.
Even in his 21st NBA season, LeBron keeps playing better and better. He’s currently averaging a team-high 25.2 points per game on a super-efficient 52% shooting and 40% from three. LeBron has also been excelling as Laker’s main distributor. In the last 10 games, James has averaged 7.7 assists and has hit the over in 80% of those games.
While James’ effort remains constant, a group effort is needed to achieve the Lakers’ goal of a title run. Overall, the Lakers need to address their offensive inconsistency and defensive vulnerabilities to turn things around.
Austin Reaves has stepped up recently, he’s averaged 19.7 points, 6.7 assists and 4.8 rebounds in his last six games while hitting his over every game.
Anthony Davis is another NBA player to look at for a strong performance on Saturday. Although painfully inconsistent, Davis can dominate any given game, and he likes to play the Warriors.
In his last five games against Golden State, he is averaging 23.8 points and 14.4 rebounds. Davis could be big on the boards again Saturday against an undersized Warriors.
Defensive Crackdown in California
Warriors vs Lakers odds opened at the Lakers being favored by XXX at home, and the total was set at XXX.
With so much on the line for both of these teams, expect Saturday to have an NBA playoff feel. Usually, that means the referees will allow for some good old-fashioned playoff physicality.
This could make the under at XXX an interesting bet. The Warriors have gone under in each of their last six road games, but the Lakers have gone over in five of their last seven home NBA games.
Although the Warriors vs Lakers odds are reasonable, this game may be too difficult to predict. If you expect a playoff atmosphere against these rivals, bet the under. Otherwise, grab some player props and enjoy the 40th edition of Steph vs LeBron.
For NBA betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
