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Lakers vs Warriors Picks and Odds

Sam Cox

by Sam Cox in NBA Basketball

Updated Mar 15, 2021 · 6:01 AM PDT

Draymond Green
Draymond and the Warriors look to knock off LAL on Monday night (Photo by Stephen Lew/Icon Sportswire)
  • The Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors matchup on March 15th
  • Los Angeles is without Anthony Davis (Achilles) and Alex Caruso (concussion)
  • Get the latest odds, betting preview and a pick below

Playing for the third time this season, the Lakers and Warriors meet at Staples Center on March 15th. The Lakers are 3.5-point favorites for this game, despite going into it without Anthony Davis (Achilles) and Alex Caruso (concussion). Marc Gasol is listed as day-to-day through health and safety protocols.

Golden State has a healthy roster aside from long-term absentees Klay Thompson and Marquese Chriss.

Lakers vs Warriors Odds

Team Spread Moneyline Total Points
Los Angeles Lakers -3.5 (-110) -138 Over 222.5 (-110)
Golden State Warriors +3.5 (-110) +118 Under 222.5 (-110)

Odds taken on Mar 15 from FanDuel

Curry Gets Help

The Warriors put in arguably their best performance of the season on Sunday. Steph Curry led the way with 32 points, but unlike the blowout to the Clippers a few days prior, Curry was helped out by his teammates. Andrew Wiggins, James Wiseman and Jordan Poole provided scoring punch for the Warriors. Draymond Green was at his game-influencing best at both ends, recording a triple-double with four steals.

The difference between winning and losing is about shot-making for Golden State. That may seem reductive, as it’s the case for most teams, but the Warriors need Curry to have a big night to win games. That’s often not enough, though, and that’s where the pressure falls on Kelly Oubre, Wiggins and others. The Warriors are 3-7 when Curry scores fewer than 25 points and 0-2 in the games he’s missed.

Having held Curry to 42 points on 35 shots across their two games this season, the Lakers have proven they can slow down the two-time MVP. Defense isn’t the worry for Frank Vogel’s team. It’s the offensive end where they could struggle.

Lakers Search for Offense

The Lakers are 22nd in offensive rating over their last 10 games. They have scored 105 or lower in six of their last nine. Anthony Davis’ absence has, of course, been felt on defense, but the lack of a second offensive star has been where they have struggled most notably.

Dennis Schroder’s production has been inconsistent. He was good against the Kings before the break, but scored just 11 points with five turnovers in the win over the Pacers a few days ago. With 49 points over his last two, Kyle Kuzma is set for an important role on Monday. Kuzma has been kept quiet in the two previous games with Golden State, however. He’s likely to face a difficult matchup in either Green or Wiggins.

Three-point shooting is a problem for the Lakers. At 32.6% over their last 10, they will need to have a good shooting night against a Warriors defense which excels at stopping people getting to the rim. Golden State is in the bottom 10 in opponent three-point percentage – can the Lakers take advantage?

Rest Disadvantage Hurts GSW

Golden State is 2-4 on a rest disadvantage this season. While that’s an ultra-small sample, it’s hard to ignore it. Thanks to the All-Star break and quirks of the NBA schedule, the Lakers have played one game since March 3rd. Golden State has played twice since the season resumed, including an epic on Sunday. Steph Curry and Draymond Green played 35 minutes apiece against the Jazz, while Andrew Wiggins was up at 37.

Caruso’s absence takes a weapon away for the Lakers to throw at Curry. Davis will be missed on the offensive end, and there’s a lot of uncertainty about who can support LeBron James on offense. The extra rest is a massive factor here, though. The Lakers should be relatively refreshed. The Warriors are coming off a massive effort to beat Utah.

This spread could move significantly before tip-off. Just like the January 18th meeting, this could go down to the last few possessions, but the Lakers are rightly favored to edge it.

  • Pick: Lakers moneyline (-138)
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