Lakers vs Warriors NBA Best Bets (5/4/23): Expert Picks & Predictions
In a battle of rest versus rust, rest won game one as the Lakers blitzed the Warriors interior in dominant fashion. Twos ended up being worth more than threes as the Warriors defense never found their footing and struggled to contain Anthony Davis. Being forced to clamp down, that opened up the perimeter for the Lakers to exploit as they ended up putting the game away with some key shot making down the stretch. Look for a more spirited defensive effort this game around as the Warriors attempt to even up the series.
Lakers vs Warriors Game 2 Best Bets
Find best bets for Thursday night’s game 2 showdown between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors. The Warriors are currently favored by 6.
Jordan Poole o1.5 Three Pointers Made
Put me on the side of the debate where I believe Poole took the best shot possible for the situation he was in. Sure, he could have spotted up a little bit closer but that was as open as he was going to get. Especially when you factor in his shooting percentage taking a dip per each dribble he takes to near the arc, as well as giving the defense more time to run towards him.
Putting my two cents aside, this series may give Poole ample opportunities to clear this number as he will find himself in high quality opportunities. The Lakers have made it apparent that they want to double Curry and Klay in the halfcourt, giving Poole the benefit of sagged off coverage to exploit from deep.
Draymond Green o7.5 Assists
Another benefactor of Curry and Klay getting doubled, Draymond Green may see his assists numbers shoot up as he is one of the kick out options to keep the offense flowing. Green is a very intelligent player with elite vision for his position, knowing he will need to creep up to kick it out to the opposite side playmaker in an effort to give them more room to work with.
The Lakers have also flexed their interior defense, giving Curry and company fits as Davis converted their looks into low quality scoring opportunities. To combat against this, we may see more drives by Green to create interior pressure before kicking it out to an open man should the Lakers sag down.
Under 227.5
Should the Warriors want to remain in contention to win this series then they will need to ramp up the pressure on defense. Especially in the interior as they were routinely blitzed by the Lakers size down low.
Draymond admitted that they were taken back by the new Lakers identity, giving me conviction that they will make the right defensive adjustments heading into game two. Those adjustments may include sending more help side defense against Davis on the block while collapsing that side as well to negate a backdoor cutter. This forces the Lakers to beat them over the top, a feat that plays towards the Warriors hands.
Steph Curry o30.5 Points
Counterproductive towards my under ticket, but Curry’s scoring will need to take center stage for the Warriors to remain competitive. With the Lakers throwing doubles, the Warriors will need to counter it by screening early and often in their half court sets. Freeing Curry at the perimeter gives him more room to work with and an uptick in scoring opportunities.
The dribble drives towards the basket may be negated but Curry is more than capable of pulling up for a mid-range as the games most lethal shooter. This will stretch Davis away from the rim, putting him in an uncomfortable position against the crafty guard.
Warriors to win the series
I went into game one thinking that the Warriors and Lakers would split the first two games with the Warriors winning game one. Looks like I may have had it backwards in my favor, now getting the Warriors series moneyline at much friendlier odds.
The Lakers pace of scoring was well above average down the stretch, now having to go against the Warriors defensive adjustments while having to compete with their pace of perimeter scoring as well. Game two will give us a better read of what to expect down the stretch.
