Headed to Los Angeles tied at 1-1, get ready for Game 3 with a big Warriors vs. Lakers prediction, plus the latest odds and insights from our friends at FanDuel.
This article originally appeared at FanDuel.
The 2023 NBA Playoffs continue on Saturday with a highly anticipated Game 3 clash between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Semifinals.
After falling to the hands of LeBron & Co. in Game 1, the Warriors — behind the hot shooting of Klay Thompson, who poured in 30 points while shooting 8-of-11 from deep — tied the series up with a 127-100 shellacking of the Lakers on Thursday night.
But now, the series shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3, where the Lakers feel most comfortable having not lost within the confines of Crypto.com Arena since the end of March. On the flip side, Golden State was just 11-30 on the road during the regular season, but it was able to close out its first-round series against the Kings from the visitors’ bench (as well as steal a pivotal Game 5 in Sacramento).
Let’s lock in for Game 3 with our big Lakers vs. Warriors prediction, plus the latest odds and betting insights from FanDuel.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors Game 2 Info
Date: Saturday, May 6, 2023
Time: 9 pm ET
Venue: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California
US TV coverage: ABC
Warriors vs. Lakers Odds & Spread: Game 3
All NBA betting lines, odds, and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
- Moneyline: GSW: (+134) | LAL: (-158)
- Spread: GSW: +3.5 (-110) | LAL: -3.5 (-110)
- Total: 227.5 — Over: (-108) | Under: (-112)
The Lakers enter this contest as narrow home favorites on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook’s odds. This clash also features an over/under of 227.5 points with the Under being favored at -112 odds.
GSW vs LAL Betting Trends
- Golden State is 1-5 straight up in its last six road games against the Lakers.
- The Lakers are 6-0 straight up in their last six home games.
- Golden State is 5-15 against the spread (ATS) in its last 20 road games.
- The Lakers are 5-1 ATS in their last six games played on a Saturday.
- The total has hit the over in four of Golden State’s last six games.
- The total has hit the over in 12 of the Lakers’ last 17 games.
Lakers vs. Warriors Prediction & Pick: Game 3
Although the Lakers didn’t have much to be proud of in Game 2, they can’t dwell on that loss. Instead, they must capitalize on a fresh start at crypto.com Arena. Fortunately, the Lakers have been great at home, winning each of their last six games in Los Angeles, as well as five of their previous six home matchups against the Warriors.
The Warriors are nowhere close to being as good on the road (13-32 SU) as they are at home (36-10 SU). They’re also only 8-18 SU as underdogs this season, whereas the Lakers are 24-12 SU as favorites. It certainly doesn’t help that Golden State has lost three consecutive trips to crypto.com Arena, getting outscored by an average of 9.7 points per game.
The Lakers are a better team than they showed in Game 2 and support from the hometown crowd will help them prove that. Expect a bounce-back performance from LeBron James & Co. as they regain the series lead.
WARRIORS vs. LAKERS FINAL SCORE PREDICTION: Lakers 119, Warriors 114
Golden State Warriors vs. LA Lakers Best Bet
Predicting a Lakers win, I see them covering the 3.5-point spread this weekend. They’ve been solid against the spread, going 4-2 ATS in their last six games as well as 4-1 ATS in their previous five encounters with the Warriors. Speaking of which, Golden State is just 5-15 ATS in its last 20 road games and has failed to cover in five of its last six outings on a Saturday.
With the Lakers playing great basketball at Crypto.com Arena in recent weeks, covering as -3.5 favorites is more than doable.