NBA Best Bets for Sunday: Lakers vs. Warriors odds, picks, predictions, props & DFS lineup

Sloan Piva

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NBA Best Bets for Sunday: Lakers vs. Warriors odds, picks, predictions, props & DFS lineup image

With a loaded 10-game slate of NBA games lined up for Sunday, there will be a ton of movement by the end of the weekend. Immediately following the Mavericks vs. Suns at 1:00 p.m. ET (ABC), Anthony Davis and the Lakers host the defending-champion Warriors in a California classic. We have all the odds to get you ready for this pivotal west-coast showdown, as well as best bets, predictions, the top player props, and our favorite DFS lineup.

The roller-coaster ride for Lakers Nation continues, with LeBron James now set to miss at least the next few weeks with a tendon injury. Los Angeles had just upgraded numerous roster spots, acquiring point guard D'Angelo Russell, athletic banger Jarred Vanderbilt, and spot-up marksman Malik Beasley — but the prolonged absence of the scoring champ means infinitely more work for AD.

Maybe the Brow is up for it — over the past two weeks, he's shooting 54.5 percent from the floor and averaging 32 points, 12.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 3.0 blocks per game. He dropped 38 points on the Timberwolves Friday, but the Lakers lost to fall to 30-34. Davis is listed as probable (foot) today, in a game he would probably sit out if James was active. Don't expect many rest days for Darvin Ham's core rotation from here on out. 

The Warriors (34-30) have a pretty major player listed as probable, too. After missing Golden State's past 11 games with a leg injury, reigning Finals MVP Steph Curry looks ready to return for this west-coast showdown. That's huge for Steve Kerr's squad, which has already won five consecutive games and eight of its past 12 thanks to the heroics of Klay Thompson. Entering Sunday, the Dubs find themselves just one game behind Phoenix for the No. 4 seed, which would give them home-court in the first round of the playoffs. 

For Golden State, the higher the seed, the better. The Warriors have a 27-7 home record, but they're just 7-23 away from Chase Center. That's the third-worst road winning percentage in the NBA (.207). And their 109-103 loss to the Lakers on Feb. 11 reminded us that (a) the Lakers have some players now and (b) a healthy, motivated AD can make an impact in more ways than just scoring.

The eight-time All-Star finished that game with 13 points, 18 rebounds, and three blocks, while newcomers D'Lo, Vando, and Rui Hachimura combined for 43 points. Dennis Schroder, with Russell Westbrook taking touches away from the guards from the other L.A. team now, scored 26 in that W.   

Curry obviously helps matters immensely for Golden State, but Kerr's team must continue to play without top perimeter defender and fourth scorer Andrew Wiggins. The 2022 All-Star has missed extended time due to personal reasons, which obviously hurts Golden State's ability to limit penetration and minimize opposing three-point shooting. The Warriors have surrendered the eighth-most points per game this season (117.2) and allowed opponents to shoot 36.1 percent from deep — and 40.5 percent from deep on the road (second-highest mark allowed in the NBA). 

Who prevails in this pivotal Sunday afternoon game? Let's dive into the odds for Lakers vs. Warriors, and discuss some trends as well as our best bets, predictions, favorite player props, and the DFS lineup du jour.

Lakers vs. Warriors odds, picks, predictions

Odds courtesy of BetMGM

  • Spread: Warriors -4.5 (-115) | Lakers +4.5 (-105)
  • Total: Over 234.5 (-110) | Under 234.5 (-110)
  • Moneyline: Warriors -200 | Lakers +165

The return of Curry means Golden State goes back to being a commanding road favorite over their Cali rivals. But let's pump the brakes on thinking the defending champs will suddenly walk into Crypto.com Center and blow AD and the boys out. The Warriors have dropped five straight road games, and they are just 9-21 against the spread in away games this entire season. 

We would have trouble backing a Warriors squad that:

  • plays poorly on the road (7-23), with or without Curry
  • often struggles to match up against strong interior scorers and rebounders
  • can't contain opposing outside shooting, especially in away games (40.5%)
  • will be without Andrew Wiggins, and likely have Curry on a minutes restriction

The Lakers may be having another year to forget on the whole, but they have covered the spread in four of their past six games and have a 17-12-1 record ATS on the season. Consider buying a couple points for extra insurance — you can get the Lakers +6.5 at -135 or even go as high as +7.5 at just -150. But I would shy away from the trap that is betting the Warriors -4.5 on Curry's first game back.

Best Bet: Lakers +6.5 (-135)

Lakers vs. Warriors: Best player prop bets

Anthony Davis over 40.5 points + rebounds (-115)

Anthony Davis Lakers
Getty Images

If the Lakers have any chance at the play-in tournament — never mind the actual playoffs — Darvin Ham will need AD to get aggressive. With the Splash Brothers back intact, 13 points won't cut it against the Warriors. We saw Davis pour in 38 points and grab five boards against Rudy Gobert and the Wolves on Friday, and we think he can put up at least 30 and 12 this afternoon. Every game is a must-win at this point for L.A., so the Brow should be going all out barring injury. 

Steph Curry under 3.5 three-pointers (+125)

It always feels risky betting against the best shooter of all time, but we're expecting a minutes restriction for Curry this afternoon and we don't envision the Lakers playing him loosely. Dennis Schroder can be a hassle to deal with and both Malik Beasley and Lonnie Walker have underrated athleticism on their side defensively. Curry hit just four treys when he last faced the Lakers, and that was in 32 minutes and change. We expect him to play more like 20-25 minutes this afternoon, and cash out with three triples tops.

Lakers vs. Warriors: DFS lineup

Lineup assembled in DraftKings Showdown Mode. Six spots, $50,000 limit.

Position Player FPPG Salary
Captain (1.5x FPTS) Klay Thompson (GS) 34.4 $15,300
Utility Anthony Davis (LA) 51.8 $13,200
Utility Dennis Schroder (LA) 24.2 $11,400
Utility Kevon Looney (GS) 24.4 $4,400
Utility Jonathan Kuminga (GS) 17.5 $3,800
Utility Troy Brown Jr. (LA) 16.3 $1,200

Thompson remains the Splash Brother to draft at captain as he's listed $2,700 cheaper than Curry. He has been the main catalyst for the Warriors over their five-game winning streak, averaging 28.6 points and easily exceeding shooting percentage splits of 50/50/94 in that span. He's well worth $15,300 as a contrarian play that should not be a contrarian play. That 1.5-times boost will be huge for Klay's investors today. 

Since we stayed modest at captain, we could afford AD — who's also balling out lately — as well as Schroder and Looney, who both average 24-plus DK points per game. Schroder went off the last time he faced the Lakers, and Looney has been pulling down rebounds like prime Steven Adams over the past month. Kuminga has stepped up big time in Wiggins' absence, while Troy Brown Jr. has dropped 33.3 and 25 DK points over the Lakers' past two games.  

Sloan Piva

Sloan Piva Photo

Sloan Piva is a content producer for The Sporting News, primarily focused on betting, fantasy sports, and poker. A lifelong New Englander, Sloan earned his BA and MA in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts and now lives in coastal Rhode Island with his wife and two kids.