Can the Golden State Warriors return to their championship form from just a few years ago? Probably not, but they are much better this season than they were during last season’s debacle. The return of Steph Curry has a lot to do with that, and he’ll attempt to get the Dubs a win over the new bully in the West when the Warriors take on LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night in the second game of a TNT doubleheader.
The contest between the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers takes place at 10 p.m. ET on Monday, January 18, 2021, from Staples Center in Los Angeles and will air live on TNT. BookMaker.eu will have odds for every game on the Monday NBA schedule.
NBA Opening Lines at BookMaker.eu
Golden State Warriors (Check Back Later)
Los Angeles Lakers (Check Back Later)
Over/Under (Check Back Later)
Odds Analysis
Hovering around .500 is a big improvement for the Warriors, who had the worst record in the NBA at 15-50 last season. They won four of five games in the middle of a recent homestand with double figure wins over the Clippers, Kings and Blazers while going 4-1 ATS in that span. The homestand ended with a 104-95 loss to Indiana with the Dubs putting up a season-low point total cashing the UNDER in the final four games. The Warriors will get a few extra days off ahead of their showdown with the Lakers after Friday’s game in Phoenix was shelved over COVID concerns. While the Lakers have been dominant on the road going 7-0, they haven’t been as good at Staples Center splitting their first six home games while going 2-4 ATS. And this will be their final home contest before a grueling 7-game road trip. While they currently sport the best record in the NBA at 10-3 the Lakers are 7-6 ATS after payouts in all three games on a recent road trip.
Golden State Warriors
Stopping Curry will be the focal point of every team the Warriors play. They don’t have Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson around to help out on the offensive end, so it’s up to Curry to deliver. He did in a big way against Portland scoring a career-high 62 in a 137-122 win. The strategy won’t always work, though. Curry had probably the worst shooting night of his career going 2 of 16 from the floor and 1 of 10 on three-pointers against Toronto. Showing that the Warriors have made a leap, they won the game 106-105.
The Warriors have been inconsistent, which is to be expected with a number of new faces. Curry is included in that group since he only played five games last season. And the newbies have for the most part played well, which is a positive for the rest of the season. Kelly Oubre Jr. and top draft pick James Wiseman both average double figures with Wiseman hauling down a team best 6.4 rebounds per game in just over 20 minutes a night. Defensive intensity has been lacking with the Dubs ranked near the bottom in points allowed and three-point defense.
Los Angeles Lakers
About two weeks ago the Lakers were upended 118-109 by San Antonio. After that game Anthony Davis said the defensive effort wasn’t there and the Lakers could not repeat if they continued to play like that. AD is a team leader along with LeBron, and when he speaks teammates listen. The defense was smothering on an ensuing three-game road trip allowing an average of 100.3 points to the Rockets and Thunder. The Lakers were the catalyst for the James Harden deal. Following their second beatdown, Harden said the Rockets weren’t good enough and that they can’t get better, or something to that effect. The Beard was dealt a few days later.
It’s hard to imagine the Lakers getting any better than they already are. They boast one of the top offenses in the NBA averaging 115.7 points while placing second in field goal percentage and third in three-point accuracy. They’ve been equally good if not better on the other end of the floor allowing only 105.2 points and holding opponents to 34.1 percent from distance. Curry will do his best to change that number and how the Lakers respond will go a long way toward determining the winner.
NBA Odds Pick
The Lakers took their lumps during Golden State’s run to five straight NBA titles, now it’s time for them to return the favor. They won all three games last season with a pair of blowouts included. This is a different Warriors team, though, and the Lakers will have to deal with Curry. Still, LA will do enough on both ends of the floor to get another win over their in-state rival.
NBA Odds Prediction: Lakers 117, Warriors 105
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