Two squads that are having some trouble building midseason momentum face off Monday night as the Los Angeles Lakers travel state-side to take on the Golden State Warriors in NBA betting action.
Both sides are 4-6 SU in their past ten games, with the Warriors struggling to find a consistent rhythm and the Lakers still trying to stop the bleeding with Anthony Davis sidelined.
We're here to help you make sense of the factors and trends that dictate this matchup, bringing you our best Lakers vs. Warriors free picks and predictions for Monday, March 15.
Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State Warriors betting preview
Injuries
Lakers: LeBron James SF (Probable), Alex Caruso PG (Out), Marc Gasol C (Out).
Warriors: No injuries to report.
Find our latest NBA injury reports.
Betting trend to know
Lakers are 4-1 ATS in their last five games. Find more NBA betting trends for Lakers vs. Warriors.
NBA sharp money and line movement report
By Patrick EversonTwinSpires pegged Los Angeles a 2.5-point favorite at the outset, and the line is now down to -1.5, with ticket count running 2/1 on the Warriors, but money flowing 3/1 toward the Lakers. The total is out to 225 from a 223 opener, with ticket count 4/1 and money 5/1 on the Over, which is seeing both sharp and public play.
Check out the full line movement for this game
Against the spread (ATS) pick
The Lakers' season was on cruise control until they hit a Valentine's Day speed bump, losing All-NBA forward Anthony Davis for what has now been over a month.
L.A. is just 4-7 SU in its subsequent 11 games, but has managed to cover in four of its last five after taking ATS losses in five of its first six sans AD. LeBron James has continued his Herculean efforts, propping up an L.A. supporting cast that has been solid, if unspectacular.
The Warriors have likewise been kept afloat by Steph Curry, who dropped 30 on the Utah Jazz last night in a stunning upset. But he's been getting help scoring from Andrew Wiggins and Kelly Oubre, while Draymond Green has been looking after just about everything else.
But the Warriors struggle with consistency. Despite beating Utah, they've lost four of their past five, including thorough beatdowns at the hands of the Clippers, Suns and this very Lakers team.
Golden State got an apex performance last night, and counting on them to do it again on the second leg of a back-to-back - especially against LeBron, who has a fairly long history of performing well against this franchise - might be wishful thinking.
PREDICTION: Los Angeles -2.5 (-110)
Over/Under pick
While AD’s absence has certainly hurt the Lakers on both ends of the floor, they still rank sixth in the NBA in defensive rating since he went down, although they are 22nd in offensive rating. They’ve been a little worse on both sides of the ball without their superstar, but for the season are the No. 1 defensive team in the NBA.
That combination of a struggling offense and lockdown D has seen the Lakers cash Unders more frequently than any team in the Association, with a 14-24 mark. The Warriors, meanwhile, aren't too far behind at 17-22.
After a win against a difficult Utah team in which the Warriors dropped 131 points, it's hard to ask them to be lights out again on the back-to-back against another top-tier defensive unit. Add in the fact that Golden State is also a Top 10 team in defensive efficiency and has not been the offensive powerhouse this season that it once was, and we're rolling with the Under in this one.
PREDICTION: Under 224.5 (-110)
Player prop pick
Here's the thing about Andrew Wiggins: he runs hot-and-cold. That's why, despite it being his seventh season, there are still people talking themselves into him as an impactful two-way player deserving of a max contract. There are stretches where he looks like Maple Jordan, the No. 1 pick who was promised. Then there are other stretches where the reports he doesn't even like basketball are seemingly confirmed, by him, mid-game.
Here's another thing about Andrew Wiggins: some games, no matter when they fall, he gets up for. Long-time observers of the Wolves (also known as masochists) will know Wigs channels Will Smith "How come he don't want me man?" energy against the Cavaliers and LeBron James, after James' Cleveland swapped him for Kevin Love before the Canadian had even played an NBA game. As if he is a plaid-shirt-wearing, fish-tossing Seattlite, Wiggins plays against the OKC Thunder with a vengeance. And like any good Canadian, he always puts on a show against the Raptors.
Between a 28-point night on Sunday and the fact he is coming up against former Cavs GM LeBron James, expect Wiggins to get up for this one and exceed his points total.
PREDICTION: Andrew Wiggins Over 16.5 Points (-115)
Lakers vs Warriors betting card
- Los Angeles -2.5 (-110)
- Under 224.5 (-110)
- Andrew Wiggins Over 16.5 Points (-115)
Did you know that if you parlayed today’s NBA Lakers vs. Warriors picks, you could win $58.14 on a $10 bet?
Use our NBA parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
Where can I bet on the NBA?
You can bet on NBA odds at every online and casino sportsbook, including NBA moneylines, spreads, Over/Under totals, and a ton of NBA prop odds. Head over to our best sportsbooks for NBA betting in your area.
