Golden State Warriors vs Los Angeles Lakers Prediction: Bookmakers underestimate Lakers

The reigning NBA champions, Golden State Warriors, will play their first game on the opening day of the regular season. The Warriors will face the Los Angeles Lakers after the championship game. Who will be the stronger of the two California teams?

The Warriors have endless opportunities after their league title, but they will have to pay for everything. Golden State may break their own luxury tax record, as the club has already extended the contracts of Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins this summer. Steve Kerr says he's willing to give Poole more playing time, but the player himself is required to make progress on defense. In all likelihood, Jordan will back up the veterans, who will get a lot of rest. Clay Thompson, for example, played only one game in the preseason and will be the one to be guarded the most.

Draymond Green avoided suspension after a fight at practice, and that's a clear plus for the Warriors. Some expect Steph Curry to go down, and he will surely try to shame the naysayers again. It will be interesting to watch the youth as well, because Moses Moody, James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga, Patrick Baldwin could become the perfect starters for the rebuilding team, and two of them could already claim star status in the future. It remains to be seen if Moody will play against the Lakers, and the participation of JaMychal Green and Andre Iguodala is also questionable.

Steve Kerr's men won 3 of 5 games in the preseason, including two wins over Washington in Japan. James Wiseman had his best performance yet, averaging 14.8 points. Against Denver, the young center made 7 of 9 shots from the field, but that did not help Golden State win. The final score was 112-119 in favor of the Nuggets. Jordan Poole failed the game, hitting only 1 shot from the field while Curry made only 1 of his 9 three-point attempts. Jonathan Kuminga and Klay Thompson were the highest scorers on the team with 17 points each.

The Lakers were trying to rebuild their roster this summer in order to finally contend for the title again (or at least make the playoffs). The club's management decided not to rush into trading Russell Westbrook just yet, even though he occupies a lot of space on the payroll and is playing an increasingly less prominent role on the team. Westbrook was recently relegated to the bench, and in the last preseason game he also suffered an injury. Russ as well as Dennis Schroder may miss the start of the season, their participation in the game against Golden State is questionable. It matters how stable and healthy Anthony Davis will be during the championship. Without him it will be difficult to fight even for a place in the top 10 of the West. A lot also depends on the role players — Kendrick Nunn, Lonnie Walker, Thomas Bryant and Patrick Beverley could be useful for the Lakers, but the season will show who of them is better suited for the Los Angeles club.

Darvin Ham's men have won only 1 of 6 games in the preseason, losing to Minnesota (twice), Phoenix and Sacramento (also twice). In their last meeting with the Kings, Los Angeles did not field Davis, Schroder or Westbrook, while LeBron James played only 18 minutes. The result was an 86-133 loss for the Lakers. The Lakers made only 8 of 33 shots from beyond the arc, while their opponent hit 20 3-pointers. The Californians also lost the home court battle, so a blowout seemed only logical.

In their last 10 head-to-head encounters, Golden State and the Lakers had 5 wins each, but the Lakers had 2 wins in the Summer League. The teams faced each other in the recent preseason and the Lakers were stronger with a score of 124-121. LeBron James didn't play then, by the way, and the Warriors were without Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. 

• Warriors won 5 of 10 home matches;
• Lakers lost 6 of the last 10 away matches;
• Golden State conceded less than 100 points in 6 of the last 8 games.

The last faceoff between the Warriors and Lakers highlighted the importance of Anthony Davis for the visitors, and the 28 points in 22 minutes from the star big man is encouraging. The Lakers will play a more optimal lineup than they did a week ago; for LeBron, the meeting with the Warriors is particularly crucial. Golden State has had problems in the playoffs in the past, playing half-heartedly at times in the preseason, and that same Poole isn't very stable. Klay Thompson didn't play much over the summer and they're trying not to burden him too much, so it's not certain the veteran star will fit into the rhythm of the regular season. Los Angeles has a good chance to win, so I suggest betting on the following outcomes:

• H2 (+6.5) for 1.95;
• W2 (incl. OT) for 3.30;
• TO (227.5) for 2.192.

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