Golden State Warriors vs Los Angeles Lakers Game 1 Prediction and Odds: 2023 NBA Playoffs

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While LeBron James and Steph Curry are no strangers to advancing in the NBA playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors will meet in a rare series between the No. 7 and No. 6 seeds in the semifinals. Let the legacy debate begin.

Prediction 1

Golden State Warriors -5

10/11 (-110)

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Odds from

Prediction 2

Under 227.5 Points

10/11 (-110)

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Odds from

These odds from William Hill were correct at the time of writing.

Golden State Warriors vs Los Angeles Lakers – Game Predictions

Contents

1 Golden State Warriors vs Los Angeles Lakers – Game Predictions
- 1.1 Prediction 1: Golden State Warriors to Cover the Spread (-5)
- 1.2 Prediction 2: Under 227.5 Points
2 Warriors vs Lakers Preview – Which Anthony Davis Shows Up?
3 Golden State Warriors vs Los Angeles Lakers Game Details

In Game 1, the Warriors are a 5-point home favorite with a total of 227.5 points. This is the first meeting between the No. 7 and No. 6 seeds in the NBA playoffs since 1987.

Prediction 1: Golden State Warriors to Cover the Spread (-5)

This should be a long, exciting series, but the Warriors are still a tough team to beat at home despite what happened last time in Game 6 against the Kings. The Warriors are 28-15-1 ATS (65.1%) at home this season, the NBA’s best record. They also cover 60.5% of the time as a home favorite while the Lakers are 15-19-1 ATS (44.1%) as a road underdog. The Warriors are No. 3 in Defensive Rating in home games this season compared to No. 28 on the road. With the Lakers having an erratic offense, look for the Warriors to get a better shooting game out of Klay Thompson and cover this spread in Game 1.

Prediction 2: Under 227.5 Points

In four meetings this season, the 227.5 total went over twice and under twice. But while the Lakers are different since the trades in February, the core of their team’s improvement is still on defense where they rank No. 1 in rating this postseason. But on offense, the Lakers and Warriors are among the bottom three remaining offenses as only the Knicks are lower based on postseason play. Expect a much different series from the Kings-Warriors series as the Lakers should bring the score down. The over only hits in 40.5% of Golden State home games this year, the 3rd-lowest in the NBA.

Warriors vs Lakers Preview – Which Anthony Davis Shows Up?

The Lakers should have an advantage with Anthony Davis, who scored 39 points in his last matchup against the Warriors in March. If he can score and rebound at a high level, then the Lakers have a real shot of advancing. But he tends to run hot and cold, which could be a problem with the way Kevon Looney attacks the rebounds for Golden State.

Golden State Warriors News, Injuries, and Starting Lineups

Steph Curry comes in fresh off a record-setting 50 points in Game 7 against the Kings. But he will need teammate Klay Thompson to shoot much better this time around.

Golden State Warriors Injury Report:

Patrick Baldwin Jr. (toe) is doubtful.

Golden State Warriors Starting Lineup:

Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, and Kevon Looney.

Los Angeles Lakers News, Injuries, and Starting Lineups

The Lakers are 4-2 ATS this postseason after upsetting the Grizzlies and blowing them out by 40 points in Game 6. They also won Game 1 in Memphis, one of the toughest places to win this year, so they will need to do something great on the road again this series. Watching the health of LeBron James and Anthony Davis is always critical, but the Lakers have put together a solid supporting cast with Austin Reaves, Jarred Vanderbilt, D’Angelo Russell, and Rui Hachimura.

Los Angeles Lakers Injury Report:

No injuries to report ahead of Game 1

Los Angeles Lakers Starting Lineup:

D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, Jarred Vanderbilt, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis.

Warriors vs Lakers Head to Head Record In 2023

The Lakers were 3-1 against the Warriors this season, but the record was just 1-1 in games where LeBron played and 1-1 when Curry played. The two superstars have not met in the same game since opening night, a 123-109 win by the Warriors in Golden State last October.