Warriors vs. Lakers Point Spread: NBA Odds, Prediction
When the NBA schedule first came out, this Thursday’s Warriors-Lakers national TV game appeared to be one of the signature matchups of the season. A potential playoff preview between the two-time defending champions and LeBron James.
NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Things haven’t gone to plan for the Lakers, who have shut James down (among a few others) for the season as they will miss the playoffs yet again. Things started going off track on Christmas when James hurt his groin in a 127-101 upset at Golden State. The Lakers were playing well at that point and were 20-14 after the victory. However, James missed the next 17 games and that torpedoed Los Angeles’ season. He was never really 100 percent healed and now will spend a rare offseason without playoff basketball while making “Space Jam 2.”
After losing that first meeting, Golden State has won the past two against the Lakers easily – this likely will be the last time the Warriors face their one-time interim coach, Luke Walton, while he’s still head coach of the Lakers. It’s widely expected that Walton will be fired. He was an assistant under Steve Kerr for two seasons before getting that Lakers job and led Golden State to a 39-4 record to open the 2015-16 season while Kerr was away due to health reasons.
Golden State is 2-5 against the spread in the past seven meetings.
Golden State Warriors
This has the potential of being a bit of a letdown game for the Warriors, as they won a huge one at home over Denver on Tuesday, 116-102. That all but clinched the West’s top seed for Golden State, with the Nuggets now resigned to the No. 2. When the Warriors are engaged, they are still the class of the league and they clearly were Tuesday. DeMarcus Cousins had his best game in a Warriors uniform with 28 points, 13 rebounds and five assists. Kevin Durant had 21 points and six assists before being ejected in the third for arguing a call. Nothing that should get him suspended, but Durant might be rested Thursday.
The Warriors might rest key guys in every game down the stretch – although Kerr could wait until the top seed is 100 per cent clinched. The Warriors are 4-11 ATS in their past 15 after a win.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers’ two-game winning streak ended in a 119-103 loss at Oklahoma City on Tuesday night in which Thunder star Russell Westbrook became the second player in NBA history with a 20-point, 20-rebound, 20-assist triple-double. The only good player who hasn’t been shut down for the season yet on the Lakers, Kyle Kuzma, sat out his second straight Tuesday with a foot injury. Probably a surprise if he plays again this year.
The Lakers will target Warriors guard Klay Thompson in free agency this offseason, but Thompson already has basically said he will re-sign with Golden State unless the team gives him a lowball contract offer. That’s not expected to happen. L.A. is 1-8 ATS in its past nine vs. teams with a winning record.
