Two of the last three champions meet on Tuesday on the 2022 NBA Opening Night when LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers travel to San Francisco to take on Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors. Golden State will hoist the banner for its 2021-22 NBA title, while the Lakers were the champions for the 2019-20 season. Golden State is Caesars Sportsbook’s co-favorite with the Boston Celtics to repeat this season, while Los Angeles is seen as a much longer shot after going 33-49 last season and missing the playoffs.
Tipping at the Chase Center is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET. Caesars Sportsbook ranks Golden State at -7 in the latest Warriors vs. Lakers odds. The over/under for total points is set at 225. Before making any Lakers vs. Warriors picks, you’ll want to see NBA predictions and betting tips from SportsLine’s proven computer model.
The SportsLine projection model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has earned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past four seasons. The model went a stunning 88-60 on all NBA top picks last season, netting over $2,100. Anyone who follows him has seen huge returns.
Now the model has set her sights on Warriors vs Lakers. You can head over to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines and trends for Lakers vs Warriors:
- Warriors vs. Lakers spread: Warriors -7
- Warriors vs. Lakers over/under: 225 points
- Money line Warriors vs Lakers: Warriors -305, Lakers +240
- LAL: Lakers were 18-23 ATS in 2021-22 road games
- GSW: Warriors were 32-19-2 ATS in 2021-22 home games
- Warriors vs. Lakers Picks: See the picks on SportsLine
Featured game | Golden State Warriors vs Los Angeles Lakers
Why the Lakers can cover
The Lakers have one of the best leading duos in the NBA with James and Anthony Davis. James, an 18-time All-NBA selection, still operates at the top of the sport, averaging 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game last season while shooting 52.4 percent from the field. Davis missed about half the season through injury, but the talented big man produced 23.2 points, 9.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game.
James and Davis form the basis of a team that won the title less than three years ago, and the Lakers were in the NBA’s top 10 in field goal percentage, 2-point percentage and creation free throws last season. Los Angeles improved its supporting cast in the offseason, and the Lakers are opportunistic on defense, posting above-average steal and block rates on the way to 14.0 turnovers created per game in 2021-22. Golden State finished with the league’s second-worst turnover rate (15.0%) on offense, and the Lakers might be in a position to create havoc.
Why the Warriors can cover
Golden State has one of the most impressive mixes of veterans and young talent in the league. Curry and Klay Thompson are one of the most feared shooting duos in NBA history and they both play at an extremely high level in their 30s. Jordan Poole was a standout for the Warriors last season as the 23-year-old averaged 18.5 points per game. Recent lottery picks Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody are both set to take on bigger roles this season.
Despite being consistently listed as a substantial favorite, Golden State was still a very profitable team to bet on last season. The Warriors went 54-46-4 with that 54% coverage rate ranking ninth in the league. The Lakers, meanwhile, were significantly overvalued last season, covering just 42.7% of the time.
How to Make Lakers vs. Warriors Picks
The model leans Under on the total, projecting a combined 221 points. It also indicates that one side of the spread hits almost 70% of the time. You can only see the choice on SportsLine.
So who wins Warriors vs. Lakers? And which side of the spread hits nearly 70% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you should jump to, all from the model who crushed his NBA picks, and find out.
