Lakers News: Odds And Lines For Tonight's Lakers-Warriors Game
We here at All Lakers want you to enjoy an opening night national game that seems quite likely to be a lopsided Golden State Warriors massacre of your Los Angeles Lakers.
Tonight, at 7 p.m. PT, the Lakers will do battle with the 2022 champs on the Dubs' home floor, the spiffy new Chase Center in San Francisco.
How many healthy Lakers we'll actually have tonight is a bit up in the air, as LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook are all officially still listed as probable to play through their various early ailments, though a report recently dropped stating that Westbrook would in fact suit up.
Three role players -- wing Troy Brown Jr., point guard Dennis Schröder, and center Thomas Bryant -- will all sit.
If the Lakers miss James and Davis, the game is a wrap, but even with their All-Stars available, L.A. may be hard-pressed to defeat Golden State's balanced attack. So the best way to still have fun tonight might be to take stock of some of the more fun gambling odds for the club (in states where betting is permitted, of course).
We found some categories (through a couple different resources) that may be worth a look. Keep in mind, this is just one idiot's opinion, so don't blame me if things don't work out:
The Warriors' 7-Point Win Spread
USA Today reports that Tipico Sportsbook is listing the Warriors, playing at home and relatively healthy, as seven-point favorites to win tonight. Considering just how hot Golden State is liable to get from deep, and how miserable the Los Angeles wing defense has looked during the team's 1-5 preseason, I would happily take the over.
Anthony Davis's Over/Under For Combined Points, Rebounds, And Dimes
AD struggled with lower back issues throughout the Lakers' six-game preseason run, but when he did play, he looked pretty darn deadly. Ryan Sanders of DraftKings Nation writes that DraftKings has set the over/under for Davis's total combined points, rebounds and assists is set at 35.5. Last year, AD averaged 23.2 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists. Rounding to whole numbers, that would be just a hair over this line. Given that Golden State is relatively small in its frontcourt (not counting James Wiseman, who will most likely be worked in pretty slowly in spot minutes), and that the Lakers have been striving to feature The Brow more frequently this season, I'd grab that over.
Stephen Curry's Over/Under For Total Three-Pointers Made
Here's another gem supplied by Ryan Sanders of DraftKings Nation. This is a nice way to root for the team that will most likely win tonight to still lose at some aspect of the game, in this case, betting the under for Warriors All-NBA point guard Stephen Curry to make less than 3.5 triples. He averages 3.8 made threes for his career, but has averaged 4.1 or more made triples during all his healthy seasons since 2015 (he only played five games in 2019-20 due to a hand injury, so we won't count that). I would generally take the over, but head coach Steve Kerr cautioned earlier this week that he would not play his starters 30 or more minutes during the beginning of the season, according to Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Given that Curry has needed 32-34.5 minutes a night to nail those 4.1+ three-point attempts, this feels like a bit of a push. For a Lakers fan rooting against Curry, it could be fun to bet on the under, though it comes with plenty of risk attached.
Combined Score Total
This number varies slightly depending on which betting site you're using. Per USA Today, Tipico Sportsbook has set the over/under money line for the total game score between the two clubs at 225. Though this writer has no question that the Warriors can notch a winning score in the 112+ point range, I am more dubious that the Lakers can match that, given how erratic the team is shooting from long range. Take the under.
