Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Lakers Betting Preview
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
When: Friday, November 25, 2016, 10:30 PM ET
Line: Golden State Warriors (-12) at Los Angeles Lakers (+12); total: 233.0 – view all NBA lines
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Betting on the Golden State Warriors (-12)
The Golden State Warriors exacted sweet revenge from their loss earlier this month to the Los Angeles Lakers by demolishing the Purple and Gold this Wednesday, 149-106. The Warriors have now won nine-straight games (albeit 5-3-1 against the spread in that span) by simply outperforming the relatively weaker competition along their path as expected.
Golden State had a shimmering start to that contest as the team scored 80 points in the first half alone. By the end of the third quarter, the superstar trio of Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson had combined for 81 points, whereas the Lakers as a team had only put up 78 points at that point.
To top it all off, the Dubs had a franchise-best 47 assists that night, which is the most number of dishes in a single NBA game in 25 years as well. They also finished with 19 three-pointers made and hit 61.6 percent of their shots from the field to prove that the highest-scoring offense in the league would not buckle against Los Angeles again in a short amount of time.
Then again, another dreaded trip back to Staples Center after Thanksgiving could mean another upset (more on that later). But with the way the Warriors are firing on all cylinders right now, the Lakers would probably want to spend Black Friday shopping for some nice deals for their families instead.
Betting on the Los Angeles Lakers (+12)
There was simply too much fluid offense from the Warriors for the Los Angeles Lakers to handle on Wednesday night, but that shouldn’t discourage them from shocking the Dubs all over again this coming Friday. Los Angeles is actually 3-3 at home against Golden State since the 2014 season (SU/ATS), and we all witnessed what this scrappy team of young bucks are capable of based on that 20-point beating in LA from November 4.
You may not believe it, but the 8-8 Lakers are actually third in the league in scoring this season with nearly 110 points per contest. They can certainly fight fire with fire against the Warriors at that, but maybe Friday’s not the exact time that they could do so. Both Julius Randle (hip) and D’Angelo Russell (knee) weren’t present for Wednesday’s contest, and Russell will definitely be out this Friday as his timetable says he’s still a few weeks away from getting back into action.
Randle’s return is more likely, and Los Angeles will surely need every bit of him again. He scored 20 points and hauled in 14 boards against the Warriors in the first meeting, and his team had less of a punch on Wednesday without him in the lineup. Rookie Brandom Ingram had a nice career-high 16 points on Wednesday, but he was already the team’s leading scorer that evening along with backup point guard Jordan Clarkson.
All things considered, the Lakers are indeed a fun team to watch this season and can definitely give Golden State a deserving scare. Then again, with the injuries to two of its best players and a sizzling-hot Dubs team in line for a rematch just a couple of days apart, perhaps the Lake Show will save their best theatrics for the fourth and final meeting at Oracle in April 12’s regular-season finale instead.
Writer’s Prediction
The Lakers put up a better fight his time around, but the Warriors still prevail with a 123-109 victory that’s enough to cover the relatively huge -12 spread.
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