Golden State Warriors vs Los Angeles Lakers betting tips and predictions for Thursday’s NBA Playoffs game on ESPN. Golden State cannot afford to go down 2-0 as they host the Lakers in Game 2 of their Western Conference semi final series. Read on for all our free predictions and betting tips.
Golden State Warriors
The series opener was a battle between two contrasting styles of play as the Warriors settled for 53 three-point shot attempts as opposed to the Lakers who shot only 25 of them. On the other hand, the defending champs attempted just 6 free-throws while LA had 29 of them.
The lack of aggressiveness towards the basket was evident and that’s one of the adjustments I’m expecting Curry and co. to make ahead of Game 2. A dominant home team like the Warriors shouldn’t allow another defeat in front of their fans, they are 14-3 SU in their last 17 games at Chase Center. Another stat working on their favor is that the last 15 teams that lost the series opener at home all came back in Game 2 with a victory.
Los Angeles Lakers
LA got the series split, so the only question is will they be satisfied with that like the 76ers were against Boston which led to a 30+ point defeat in Game 2, or will they try and do the seemingly impossible and win both road games? The answer to that question lies in the hands of Anthony Davis who dominated Game 1 with 30 points and 23 rebounds, blocking 4 shots and assisting on 5 LA baskets.
That kind of productivity is a game changer for the Lakers, but AD hasn’t been able to produce on a consistent basis during this playoff run. After that victory the Lakers are now 4-1 ATS/SU in the last 5 vs Golden State and are also 8-2 SU in their last 10 games overall, while beating 13 of their last 16 Western Conference opponents.
It’s a do or die game for the Warriors. Unlike in Game 1, they should have had plenty of rest and time to adjust their game plan for the Lakers. Tuesday’s home loss was a fluke, there’s no way the Splash bros. are allowing another home defeat here. Take the Warriors to cover.
Golden State Warriors vs Los Angeles Lakers Predictions & Odds
When the Warriors made that 14-0 run towards the end of the game they went very small with Draymond Green at the center position. That showed us the Lakers tend to struggle when having to play at a higher pace, they just don’t have the personnel to play effectively. That might be the game plan for Game 2 which Steve Kerr settles for, if that’s the case then we are in for another high scoring game.
The total has cashed on the over in 11 of the last 16 Lakers games, including 7 of their last 9 on the road. For the Warriors this has happened in 4 of their last 5 games played in the month of May, plus in 6 of the last 8 meetings with the Lakers. In head-to-head games at Chase Center the over is also 4-1 in the last 5 games, and with LA going 27-18 in favor of the over in road games this season I think this game will see a lot of points scored. Back the over.
