by Chuck Sommers
Sunday, Oct 17, 2021
Time: 10 p.m. ET, October 19, 2021
Venue: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Where to watch: TNT
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Lakers -5; O/U 230.5; Lakers -195, Warriors +165
BetMGM: Lakers -5; O/U 230.5; Lakers -200, Warriors +165
Caesars: Lakers -4.5; O/U 230.5; Lakers -200, Warriors +170
2020-21 season record
Warriors: 39-33 (9th, Western Conference), lost play-in tournament
Lakers: 42-30 (7th, Western Conference), lost in first round vs. Suns
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Warriors - Lakers preview and analysis
Recent form
Warriors: First game of season
Lakers: First game of season
The Los Angeles Lakers crashed and burned in the worst possible way last season. Up 2-1 on the eventual Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns, the Lakers lost three straight and disintegrated before our very eyes.
As a result, the Lakers re-tooled and are looking to make another run at an NBA championship in what’s turning out to be the twilight of LeBron James’ career.
The Lakers will begin the 2020-21 season at home on Tuesday against a Golden State Warriors team that also has high hopes for a rebounding season.
Los Angeles and Golden State met in the play-in tournament in what was probably one of the best games of the postseason last year. The Lakers won 103-100 that forced Golden State to play one more game to make the playoffs, ultimately falling to the Memphis Grizzlies and seeing their run come to an end.
The Lakers, the No. 7 seed in the West, crashed hard against the Suns and had to battle the latter of that series without Anthony Davis. You take one look at that roster and it looked exactly like LeBron in the end of his Cleveland run all over again.
In response to that six-game exodus in the first round after winning the NBA title the year prior in the Florida bubble, the Lakers spent big. Out went Kyle Kuzma and Montrezl Harrell to Washington for Russell Westbrook to fortify an absurdly athletic big three with James and Davis.
The Andre Drummond experience went down the tube and the Lakers responded with bringing back Dwight Howard and signing DeAndre Jordan after a one-year experiment with the Brooklyn Nets.
More importantly, the teaming up of James with Carmelo Anthony for the first time ever is going to be a thing. Anthony had a resurgence with the Portland Trail Blazers the previous two years and is now in the position to be a contributor on a championship team. What better way to do it than with James?
Last year was a weird stretch for everyone involved, especially with these teams that are normally title contenders. The Warriors were no exception. It took a six-game winning streak at the end of the season to reach the play-in stage, but Steph Curry showed he still has the capability of carrying a corpse to the finish line.
Once again, the Warriors will not have Klay Thompson to begin the season (and hopefully he doesn’t have another injury when he returns to practice in a month), but Steve Kerr’s group will still be one of the deepest in the league. Andre Iguodala returns for one more run with the group he won Finals MVP with; James Wiseman will start the season on the injured list, but expectations are high for last year’s No. 2 overall pick.
When healthy, these teams are title contenders. The Western Conference has seen a huge turnover, but never count either of these groups out.
Prediction
There’s going to be some kinks to iron out with the Lakers’ big three, but a half-healthy Davis is better than what the Warriors have in the front court. If Wiseman were healthy, this would be a much more bearable outcome. Steph will keep things close, but the Lakers pull away late led by Davis. Lakers by 9
Betting trends
The Warriors are 48-54 against the spread the last three seasons as an underdog, but 31-72 straight up.
Golden State is 32-26 ATS on the road the last three seasons.
The Lakers are 101-36 straight up as a favorite in their last 137, but only 64-68 ATS.
Projected starting lineup
Warriors:
PG: Stephen Curry
SG: Jordan Poole
SF: Andrew Wiggins
PF: Draymond Green
C: Kevon Looney
Lakers:
PG: Russell Westbrook
SG: Wayne Ellington
SF: Kent Bazemore
PF: LeBron James
C: Anthony Davis
Injuries
Warriors: Klay Thompson (Achilles, out), James Wiseman (knee, out)
Lakers: Talen-Horton Tucker (thumb, out), Trevor Ariza (ankle, out)
2020-21 statistical leaders
Warriors:
Points: Stephen Curry -- 32.0
Rebounds: Draymond Green -- 7.1
Assists: Draymond Green -- 8.9
Blocks: Andrew Wiggins -- 1.0
Steals: Draymond Green -- 1.7
Lakers:
Points: LeBron James -- 25.0
Rebounds: Anthony Davis -- 7.9
Assists: LeBron James -- 7.8
Blocks: Anthony Davis -- 1.6
Steals: Anthony Davis -- 1.3
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
