Lakers at Warriors Under 242 1/2
Maybe it’s thoughts of that ridiculous, 211-186, NBA All-Star Game still being fresh in their minds.
But the oddsmaker has set too high of a total in this Lakers-Warriors matchup.
This is an important late February game between two teams digging hard for playoff positioning. So, unlike the All-Star Game, there should be at least a modicum of defensive intensity.
The Lakers won’t have LeBron James. He’s resting his injured left ankle.
There should be a rust factor, too. The Lakers haven’t played in eight days. The Warriors last played a week ago.
Perhaps the oddsmaker was influenced into setting this high of a line by the last time these teams met. That was on Jan. 27. The Lakers pulled out a 145-144 victory. That game, though, went into double overtime. There were 236 points scored in regulation. James scored 36 points and had 12 assists. LA shot 49 percent from the floor and made 38 of 43 free throws for 88 percent.
I don’t see a repeat of that, especially with James not playing.
(Editor’s note: Stephen Nover is 37-22 on his past 59 premium NBA plays and 63-45-2 on his last 110 college basketball plays. His Thursday ticket is topped by his Sun Belt Conference Game of the Year. If you are interested in getting Stephen’s sports picks please email him at scriber26@gmail.com, or message him via X.)
