Update: James will suit up in this game. The Warriors have actually become 1.5-point favorites with Davis being ruled out, and the total is 234.5. I still like Golden State as the ATS pick but I’ll actually take the under on the total with Davis out and James likely still limited by the illness he’s recovering from.
Update: Davis has been ruled out, while James didn’t participate in the team’s walkthrough and is reportedly still dealing with flu-like symptoms. The Lakers are still favored but we’ll wait on the final status for James before making updated picks.
We could be seeing a play-in tournament preview Tuesday when the Golden State Warriors (43-35) meet the Los Angeles Lakers (45-34) in southern California. The Warriors don’t control their own fate and could be locked into the play-in tournament regardless of their result in this game, while the Lakers could take a step towards escaping the play-in with a win. Both teams have played well of late with the Warriors winning seven of their last 10 and the Lakers grabbing eight of their last 10. Golden State has won two of the three meetings so far between the teams this season.
Dario Saric is out for the Warriors, while Andrew Wiggins and Gary Payton II are probable. Anthony Davis and LeBron James are both questionable for this one, with the latter expected to play after missing Sunday’s game. The Lakers are optimistic on Davis’ outlook after he suffered an eye injury in Sunday’s loss to Minnesota and didn’t return to the contest.
The Lakers are 2.5-point favorites according to DraftKings Sportsbook with the total coming in at 235.5. Los Angeles is -148 on the moneyline while Golden State is +124.
Warriors vs. Lakers, 10 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Warriors +2.5
Golden State has been a great road team this season, a stark contrast to previous years. The Warriors are 26-13 ATS on the road, going 12-8 ATS as road underdogs. They are 16-10-1 ATS as underdogs overall. Meanwhile, the Lakers have been average in covering at home. They are 19-21 ATS as the home side and 14-15 ATS as the home favorite. This recent stretch of play has boosted both numbers for Los Angeles.
The Warriors were able to take the last game at Crypto.com Arena and I think they’ll do the same tonight. Even though Golden State doesn’t control its postseason destiny, the Warriors will keep pushing to avoid the 9-10 play-in game. Take them to cover here.
Over/Under: Over 235.5
All three games between these teams have gone over this total. Even though the Warriors are 16-23 to the over as the road team and the Lakers are 20-19-1 to the over at home, I think the matchup trend trumps the overall season trend. Give me the over in this game.