Lakers vs Warriors NBA odds, tips and predictions tonight

While you might expect LeBron James to take most of the scorecard in tonight’s season opener against the Warriors, our betting tips see more of a facilitating role as he attempts to diversify a seedy Lakers rotation.

What a way to announce the new NBA season. Steph Curry and the defending NBA Champion Golden State Warriors welcome LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers into a season where The King can claim a new crown by tracking down Kareem Abdul-Jabar for the all-time points record.

There are so many storylines that go into this game. Will the Warriors be able to pull through the Draymond drama and put on a strong performance? And can the Lakers bounce back from a shocking 33-49 campaign? with a new head coach at the helm?

A good portion of this season will be focused on LeBron ascending the points throne. However, I found a bet in this duel that relies more on his skills as an all-around player and moderator.

Find out what’s in the NBA tips and predictions for the Lakers vs. Warriors below.

Lakers vs Warriors best odds

Lakers vs. Warriors tips and predictions

This is such an intriguing game on so many levels.

The Warriors returned to the top of the NBA world, and defending their title would put them on the line with great dynasties of all time (if they weren’t already there). But Draymond Green’s haymaker for Jordan Poole certainly caused some drama.

There are also concerns that Steph, Klay Thompson and Draymond are all a year older and will need the likes of James Wiseman and Jonathan Kuminga to take the next step in their development.

Meanwhile, the Darvin Ham era begins for the Lakers a year after the team finished 11th in the Western Conference. And while he might finally be able to unlock the Russell Westbrook puzzle for this roster, there’s no solution right now. Rumor has it he might come off the bench.

But this team is all about LeBron and AD. James continues to be a mutant, coming off a year in which he averaged 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists in 56 games. But he needs his comrade in Anthony Davis. If Davis can stay on the court and be the All-NBA player we know can be, the Lakers can still be a problem.

And up to that point, I expect LeBron to be trying to make Davis and his other teammates feel good early in the season. Look for him to be a host tonight, feeding the paint to the other half of his dynamic duo while also working against a Warriors team that loves to field multiple small ball lineups out there.

LeBron’s rebounds + assists prop is 14.5, which makes sense considering he averaged 14.4 last season. But in three games against the Warriors, that average jumped to 17.3 and twice surpassed 14.5.

Moreover, this is LeBron. He usually shows up when he’s the center of everyone’s attention. The plus money is the icing on the cake.

my best bet: LeBron James Over 14.5 rebounds + assists (+115)

Spread Analysis Lakers vs. Warriors

That line opened with the Warriors as a 6.5-point home chalk, and it’s the defending champions who saw the early money with 7s showing up on the board. And for a good reason.

It seems the Warriors have put the Draymond drama behind them. Green was down for the team’s last preseason game and the team appeared to be functioning normally. You know, as normal as champions can look punching each other in the face.

While the casual observer would look at the Warriors and think that this is primarily a shoot-first, shoot-then-defend-later team, they actually finished 16th on offense and second on defense. And now the team could be deeper than ever.

The second unit of Poole, Wiseman, Kuminga, Donte DiVincenzo and Moses Moody could be a hell of a lot of fun and gives the Warriors a huge advantage over most teams when it comes to bench games, including the Lakers.

Honestly, this LA roster is looking a bit messy heading into the season. What will happen to Westbrook? Is there enough shooting talent? But as long as LeBron and AD are on the field and motivated, this team will be able to keep up. Speaking of competition, you know Patrick Beverley will be pumped for this game with a chance to take on the likes of Steph and Poole.

If you consider the Warriors’ ring ceremony and their internal woes, their focus may not just be on the Lakers. Getting seven points with LeBron at this point seems like too much.

Lakers vs. Warriors Over/Under Analysis

The total hit the board at 227 and the early money pushed the number down to 225 and while I don’t have an official game I’d tend to agree.

As previously mentioned, the Warriors were an under-the-radar defensive team. With the likes of Draymond, Andrew Wiggins and others, the Warriors became very versatile at that end of the floor. Now they face a Lakers team that ranked 15th in effective field goal percentage and 21st in 3-point percentage a season ago, and did little to improve those numbers in the offseason.

On the other end of the floor, the Lakers’ defensive numbers weren’t great, finishing 22nd in the defensive rating. But that all changes with a motivated LeBron and AD on the floor. And the introduction of Beverly was a big part of improving efforts on that end of the floor, too. He’s an annoying lockdown defender who can give Warriors marksmen seizures.

Even at 225.5, I would still lean towards Under in an early season matchup where players could still work on their conditioning and find their groove.

Lakers vs. Warriors betting trend you should know

The Lakers are 5-2 ATS in their last seven trips to Golden State. Find more NBA betting trends for Lakers vs. Warriors.

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