The Golden State Warriors won’t have to contend with LeBron James when they return from the All-Star break to host the Pacific Division-rival Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday. James is out against Golden State due to an ankle injury that sidelined him at Utah in Los Angeles’ final game prior to the break. The Lakers (30-26) still defeated the Jazz 138-122 for their sixth win in seven overall contests and fourth straight on the road. The Warriors (27-26) also have won six of seven after posting a 140-137 triumph at Utah last Thursday.
Tip-off at Chase Center in San Francisco is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET. Golden State is a 6-point favorite in the latest Warriors vs. Lakers odds, according to SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 243.5. Before making any Lakers vs. Warriors picks or NBA predictions, you need to see what SportsLine’s advanced computer model has to say.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 18 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 60-36 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $2,300. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Warriors vs. Lakers. You can head to SportsLine now to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines and trends for Lakers vs. Warriors:
Warriors vs. Lakers spread: Golden State -6
Warriors vs. Lakers over/under: 243.5 points
Warriors vs. Lakers money line: Golden State -238, Los Angeles +193
GSW: The Warriors are 8-2 against the spread in their last 10 games
LAL: The Lakers are 12-16 ATS on the road this season
Warriors vs. Lakers picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Warriors can cover
Klay Thompson had one of his best offensive performances of the season in Golden State’s victory at Utah as he scored a season-high 35 points off the bench. The 34-year-old shooting guard, who eclipsed the 15,000-point mark for his career, was 7-for-13 from 3-point range and also grabbed six rebounds as he entered as a reserve for the first time since his 2011-12 rookie season. Thompson was just 5-for-23 from beyond the arc over his previous three contests.
Thompson scored 24 points in Golden State’s first meeting with Los Angeles this campaign, a 145-144 double-overtime loss at home on Jan. 27, while Stephen Curry led all players with 46 points. The 35-year-old Curry also eclipsed the 40-point mark in the Warriors’ last home game, recording 41 in a 130-125 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Feb. 14. He made nine 3-pointers in that defeat and is 36-for-67 from beyond the arc over his last four contests. See who to back at SportsLine.
Why the Lakers can cover
With James unable to play, more will be expected of Anthony Davis, who leads Los Angeles in scoring with an average of 24.9 points. The 30-year-old Davis also came up with a strong performance in the first meeting with the Warriors, scoring 29 points while pulling down 13 rebounds. It was one of the 42 double-doubles recorded this season by Davis, who is fourth in the league in that category while ranking third in rebounds (12.2) and fifth in blocks (2.5).
Davis is coming off an effort against Utah in which he registered game highs of 37 points and 15 boards. Fellow power forward Rui Hachimura set a career high of 36 points on 13-of-19 shooting in that contest. The Lakers are 8-2 in their last 10 meetings against Golden State and they’ve won nine of their last 11 games played in February. See who to back at SportsLine.
How to make Warriors vs. Lakers picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Under on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 241 points. The model also says one side hits in over 60% of simulations. You can only see the picks at SportsLine.