The NBA is back tonight and we have a tantalizing clash to look forward to when the Golden State Warriors lock horns with rivals Los Angeles Lakers. For the Warriors, they will be presented with their NBA rings during a special ceremony ahead of the tip-off, however, their preparations were disrupted after Draymond Green’s angry altercation with teammate Jordan Poole during a training camp. As far as the Lakers are concerned, settling on a starting roster is one of their biggest concerns, but Darvin Ham will be hoping his side can have a serious tilt this campaign and make the playoffs.
This opener can be a classic
This game has all the ingredients to be a classic, and here are a few things to watch out for during the season opener:
- LeBron James will begin his quest to overtake Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. Lakers star James has racked up 37,062 career points and he trails Jabbar by 1,325 points.
- The Lakers haven’t won a season-opener in six years.
- The Warriors were formidable at home last term, amassing a 31-10 record.
- But the Warriors conceded on average 105.5 points per game, committing 21.4 fouls.
- The Warriors won 53 games last season and they could flirt with 60 this time.
But will the Lakers spoil the Warriors’ party? This game will whip up excitement among the online betting fans, which will have plenty of game lines to choose from.
And before tip-off, we have handpicked a couple of tips for you to feast on.
Golden State Warriors to put the NBA on notice
For most people, the Warriors will start the campaign as the favorites, and they have been trying to recreate the dynasty of 2015-2018 when they were simply untouchable, collecting three NBA crowns in a row. Although there may have been some fall-out from the Green saga, the Warriors have many experienced campaigners, and Warriors head coach Steve Kerr will only need to tweak things slightly to extract the best out of his side.
The only player likely to miss out against the Lakers is Andre Iguodala who is nursing a hip issue. Kerr has already admitted his top stars won’t spend more than 30 minutes on the floor in the season opener, so he can manage their fitness levels correctly. Matches between the Warriors and the Lakers have always been feisty affairs, and no love is lost between the two franchises.
However, while the tale of the tape suggests the Lakers have dominated this matchup, winning 258 of the 430 meetings, the Warriors have had the upper hand in recent times. Indeed, the Warriors have triumphed on three of the past four occasions, and home advantage counts for a lot. The Lakers are still trying to resolve some underlying issues, but the Warriors won’t disappoint. The Warriors could well serve the NBA notice with a splendid display and kick off the campaign in style. If you like the Moneyline, then FanDuel is offering a very short price of -260 for the Warriors to come out on top which shouldn’t be ignored.
A high-scoring contest awaits
There are some fascinating tussles all over the court and you imagine Steph Curry will catch fire. Last season, he weighed in with an average of 25.5 points, and during the postseason, that rose to 27.4 points. In the Finals against the Boston Celtics last summer, Curry was an unstoppable force, averaging over 30 points across the series, and he drained 43 points in Game 4. While Curry relishes the postseason schedule, he could well explode against the Lakers, and he would like to make a statement of intent.
Of course, James won’t be a shrinking violet during the game for the Lakers. It could well be a high-scoring affair, but as mentioned, the Lakers will likely come up short. The past four clashes between the Lakers and the Warriors have seen over 230.5 points scored, and it could be a similar story here when they face off at Chase Center. And if you are leaning towards the Totals section, then BetMGM is carrying an inviting price of +135 for there to be Over 230.5 points which could be worth exploring further.
