After a thrilling Game 1, a Warriors-Lakers Game 2 is primetime television.
Although we saw some fireworks on Tuesday night, Game 2 may not be as exciting as it may seem.
Let’s break down some odds, parlays and game predictions for Thursday night’s showdown.
All odds, spreads and lines are provided courtesy of BetMGM.
Best Picks for Warriors-Lakers Game 2
Warriors -5.5, -110
Look away Laker fans, this one threatens to get ugly.
Los Angeles has the best record in the league for the last month and a half or so, but never count out the defending champions.
The Warriors will not lose both games at home. Period.
“Morale is not low.”
Klay is looking forward to bouncing back in Game 2 pic.twitter.com/d2MlXBL2Kb
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) May 3, 2023
Their moneyline is set at -250, so taking the spread is a better play here.
For this to happen, though, Golden State MUST attack in transition.
The Lakers are one of the worst in the league in fastbreak defense, and their halfcourt D is too good for the Warriors to play into.
Steve Kerr is 19-0 against Western Conference teams in the playoffs as the Warriors’ head coach, and he knows they have to make adjustments to win this game. And they will.
Warriors to Win by 6-10 Points, +425
It’s risky to take specific winning margins, but this is a solid play with good odds.
There’s almost no doubt that Golden State is winning Thursday night, but it won’t be a blowout.
LA’s defense has been too good to let them get blown out, but their offensive inconsistencies is a concern.
It remains to be seen if Anthony Davis can string together consecutive high-level performances, and guys like Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, D’Angelo Russell and even LeBron James haven’t had consistent success this postseason.
– Anthony Davis must be a consistent scoring threat every game if the Lakers expect to win this series. He has to dominant looney/draymond in the post and in hand help the lakers control the pace of the game. The lakers cannot get let this matchup turn into a high tempo shootout. pic.twitter.com/UXVynbYHp9
— Savant Hoops (@SavantHoops) May 2, 2023
However, a backdoor cover with this margin is more likely than any other margin, so roll with this one if you believe in a Warriors win.
Stephen Curry OVER 30.5 Points, -120
After watching Curry score 50 in a Game 7, it’s confusing as to why he doesn’t get 35+ shots every single game.
He has 30+ in three of his last five games, has the home crowd in his favor and, of course, he’s Stephen Curry.
The Warriors made their epic comeback when the ball was in his hands, and Steve Kerr will make sure he is their primary ball handler for most of the game.
With this, Steph will initiate the offense, pass to Draymond Green or Kevon Looney at the high post, run around for 10 seconds, then get the ball back and score. Watch out for this all game long.
Parlay for Warriors-Lakers Game 2
Warriors ML,
Over 227.5
Anthony Davis UNDER 25.5 Points
+450
It’d be absolutely shocking if the Lakers won Game 2.
It would be surprising if this game wasn’t high-scoring.
And Anthony Davis hasn’t played well in back-to-back games all postseason.
+450 gives a good enough return for a likely scenario in this game and feels like the best risk/reward parlay you can build.
Craziest Odds for Warriors-Lakers Game 2
Stephen Curry to Make a 30+ Foot 3-Pointer, +130
This line probably hovers around this all the time.
But, the crazy part is that the next closest player with these odds is Jordan Poole at +400.
It’s not as crazy as some previous “Crazy Odds”, but the respect for Curry’s dominance from deep is always astounding to look at.
Free Picks for Warriors-Lakers Game 2
In addition to the Best Picks and the Parlay of the Game, here are a few more free picks for Warriors-Lakers Game 2.
Lakers 1Q Moneyline, +145
Anthony Davis to NOT Miss a Free Throw, +400
Klay Thompson to Make First FGA, +110
Kevon Looney OVER 24.5 Points+Rebounds+Assists, -120
Andrew Wiggins First Field Goal, +700
Game 2 will be at 6 PM Pacific Time (9 PM E.T.) on ESPN on Thursday night.
