The Golden State Warriors (25-25) and Los Angeles Lakers (29-19) will meet in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 10 p.m. ET at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. The game will broadcast live on TNT.
The Lakers are 7.5-point favorites over the Warriors on the spread (Lakers -7.5), with the over/under set at 221.5 total points. Los Angeles is a -310 favorite to win outright, while Golden State is +250 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Warriors vs. Lakers predictions and NBA picks for Thursday, February 6.
Warriors vs. Lakers Picks, Prediction
Spread
After opening as a -5.5-point favorite, the market moved the Lakers as high as -7.5. However, Los Angeles is just 1-6 this season when laying -5.5 or more points, and it's 0-2 against the spread in this spot when facing a team with a win percentage of .500 or better.
Moneyline
The Lakers are 2-0 against the Warriors this season and enter this contest having won three straight games and nine of their last 11. Although Los Angeles should emerge victorious in this spot, I would only consider a Lakers moneyline as part of a same-game parlay.
Over/Under
The total piques my interest in this matchup, considering it has remained relatively close to 222. The average total for Lakers' games is 225.2, and the over is 11-7 when the total is 221.5 or lower.
My Pick: Over 221.5
Warriors vs. Lakers Odds
| Warriors Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+7.5 -115 | 221.5 -110o / -110u | +250 |
| Lakers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-7.5 -105 | 221.5 -110o / -110u | -310 |
- Warriors vs. Lakers spread: Lakers -7.5
- Warriors vs. Lakers over/under: 221.5 total points
- Warriors vs. Lakers moneyline: Lakers -310, Warriors +250
- Warriors vs. Lakers best bet: Over 221.5
My Lakers vs. Warriors best bet is on the Over at 221.5 total points, with the best line currently available at DraftKings. But as always, make sure to shop for the best line using our live NBA odds page.
Warriors vs. Lakers Preview
Golden State and Los Angeles have spent the last few days reshaping their teams ahead of Thursday's trade deadline. Just days after the Lakers decided to ship star forward Anthony Davis to Dallas in exchange for Luka Doncic as part of a three-team trade, the Warriors were involved in a four-team deal that landed Jimmy Butler at Golden State with Andrew Wiggins heading to Miami.
But the Lakers weren't done yet, acquiring center Mark Williams from the Hornets in exchange for Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish and future draft picks.
While Williams can provide a presence inside the paint, he won't be the first option, as we often saw with Davis on the team. It's worth noting that the Lakers played their last three games without Davis, and they attempted 36.3 3-pointers, which is a decent uptick from their season average of 33.8.
Although the sample size is comparably smaller, it wouldn't surprise me if we start to see a subtle shift to an offensive perimeter strategy that closely resembles the skill set of Laker head coach JJ Redick during his time as a player.
As for the Warriors, they're likely to continue being one of the better perimeter teams as long as Stephen Curry remains on the court.
Butler adds another proven scorer to the team, but perhaps his biggest asset is his bulldog mentality. No one would dispute that Wiggins is a fine player. However, there's always a feeling that he lacks some intensity for a player selected No. 1 overall in the 2014 NBA Draft.
With Curry clearly in the latter stages of his career at 36, the 29-year-old Wiggins probably should have been shouldering more of the load for the Warriors.
Golden State acquired Wiggins via a deadline trade in 2020, but given his contribution to the Warriors' success over the years, it feels like he was there for much longer.
However, Wiggins arrived after Kevin Durant left the Warriors for the Nets. Durant won two championships in his first two years with the Warriors, while Wiggins won one in five seasons.
With Curry still on the team, the Warriors will always have a strong offensive foundation. Their ethos will likely remain unchanged even when they turn to a bench that is tied for the league lead in scoring with 46.3 points per game.
Even with Davis on the court, the Lakers still ranked 19th defensively (113.9 Rating) in efficiency, and I don't see a scenario where that number improves overnight.
Look for both teams to have success putting up points and pushing this game over the total.
Warriors vs. Lakers Prediction
After explaining my reasoning for this game to exceed the total, I've identified two correlated player props that would fit nicely in a same-game parlay.
Curry might have to do more of the ball handling with Dennis Schroder departing to Utah as part of the Butler trade. Curry's assists prop is available at 5.5, a number he has exceeded in 11 of his last 12 games against bottom-10 defenses for assists allowed. The Lakers fit that criteria, ranking 24th in assists allowed to opposing point guards.
Moreover, Curry has exceeded this projection in five of his last six games against the Lakers.
Another player who could help Curry dish the rock is his teammate Draymond Green. Green has a rebounds + assists prop of 11.5, which he exceeded in eight of his last nine games against bottom-10 defenses for assists allowed. The Warriors power forward has also covered this number in five straight games against Los Angeles.
The common theme for these props is that this Lakers defense will give their opponents chances to find the open man.
Adding these two player props to our total would help boost our odds to +410 at DraftKings.
Best Bet: Over 221.5 (-110)
Same Game Parlay Picks
- Over 221.5
- Stephen Curry Over 5.5 Assists
- Draymond Green Over 11.5 Rebounds + Assists
Parlay Payout: +410
Lakers vs. Warriors Betting Trends
