The 2025-2026 NBA season begins Tuesday night with a doubleheader on NBC. Yes, the NBA is back on NBC. The dual bill is headlined in part by a huge Western Conference showdown between the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Let’s take a look at my Warriors vs. Lakers predictions.
Golden State Warriors Los Angeles Lakers Odds
Moneyline: Buccaneers -135 / Lakers +115
Spread: Warriors -2 (-110) / Lakers +2 (-110)
Total: Over 226 (-110) / Under 226 (-110)
Golden State Warriors Los Angeles Lakers Best Bet No. 1: Warriors -2 (-110)
The analysis of this matchup starts in the obvious place: the Lakers are without LeBron James. The association’s all-time top scorer will be sidelined for at least a month at the start of the season due to a sciatic nerve problem. It goes without saying that LA is not the same team without James as it does not have the depth to easily compensate for such an absence. The Lakers are still heavily topped with Luka Doncic, while Austin Reaves is a respectable second scoring option if James is on the shelf. However, the rest of the selection does not inspire much confidence. Among the Lakers’ newcomers, Marcus Smart appears to be past his best years and even Deandre Ayton’s best days are likely in the past.
Golden State reached the second round of the playoffs last season, which is more than Los Angeles can say. The Warriors bounced against the second-seeded Rockets in the first round and then won the only game against the Timberwolves they played with Stephen Curry. Minnesota took the next four in a row, largely because Curry was out.
The Lakers won three of four H2H meetings in 2024-25, but the Dubs were 0-3 without Jimmy Butler and 1-0 after the trade for Butler. On April 3, they went to Los Angeles and won 123-116 behind 37 points from Curry and 18 from Jonathan Kuminga. Head coach Steve Kerr’s side will have no problem playing in LA, especially if they don’t have to face James.
Golden State Warriors Los Angeles Lakers best bet on player: Brandin Podziemski Over 12.5 points (-115)
Podziemski surpassed that number of 12.5 in 12 of his last 16 regular season games during the 2024-2025 season. The Santa Clara product then had a 26-point performance in Game 4 against the Rockets and ended the season with a 28-point performance in a Game 5 loss to the T-Wolves.
This was a favorable match for Podziemski in 2024-2025. He averaged 14.8 points per game in four head-to-head meetings with the Lakers and scored 28 points in his team’s win at Crypto.com Arena. It should be noted that fellow guard Moses Moody is out with a calf problem, which should mean more minutes for Podziemski on Tuesday.
#Warriors #Lakers #odds #preview #picks #predictions