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For the second straight season, the Golden State Warriors will open their schedule in Los Angeles against the Lakers.
These Pacific Division rivals start on clean slates, with the Lakers favored by 5.5 points at home and the total set at 234.5 points.
The Warriors are coming off a disappointing season, finishing eight games below .500 and losing to the Suns in the West Play-In. Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler missed large chunks of the season due to injuries.
Los Angeles clinched a postseason spot and beat the Rockets in seven games in the first round. However, the Thunder then swept the Lakers in the West semifinals, with Luka Doncic not playing a single minute in the playoffs because of a nagging hamstring injury.
Warriors vs. Lakers prediction, best bets
JJ Redick and company now enter the post-LeBron James era, while the Warriors’ lack of free-agent activity has raised questions about whether Steve Kerr’s squad can keep up in the standings.
The Lakers have rebuilt their roster around Doncic and backcourt mate Austin Reaves, and James’s departure opens the door for more playmaking and shot creation for the pair.
How well the Warriors contain these two will decide the game, and rookie Yaxel Lendeborg will almost certainly get a “welcome to the NBA” moment if he is tasked with defending either.
LA’s newcomers include sharpshooter Quentin Grimes, pick-and-roll lob threat Walker Kessler, Collin Sexton, and Sandro Mamukelashvili.
Unfortunately for Golden State, their injury woes have continued. Butler is still a ways out from recovering from an ACL injury, Moses Moody is out with the same ailment, and Brandin Podziemski missed a recent practice with a back issue, leaving the rotation with significant holes.
As great a threat Curry is on the perimeter, he is also limping into this game with an ankle sprain. That leaves Draymond Green and Al Horford to potentially carry the scoring load, a big ask for the veteran duo at this stage of their careers.
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This is a tough line in general for the Warriors to cover, especially against Doncic in early-season form.
Expect the latter to leave his fingerprints on the box score and lead the Lakers to a win on opening night.
The Play: Lakers – 5.5 (-118, DraftKings) | Luka Doncic to score 30 points or more (-180, bet365)
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Mike Turay is a sports journalist and editor who closely follows the NBA, NFL, college sports and UFC. He has demonstrated expertise in both NBA and NFL player prop bets for nearly three years. Mike is also highly knowledgeable about the sportsbook offer landscape, frequently trying and reviewing the latest apps and sites.