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Lakers vs. Warriors Prediction and Odds for Tuesday, October 18 (Golden State Should Roll on Opening Night)

By Peter Dewey

Golden State Warriors guards Stephen Curry (30) and Klay Thompson (11).
Golden State Warriors guards Stephen Curry (30) and Klay Thompson (11). / Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
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The Golden State Warriors’ ring ceremony is on Tuesday night prior to their season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers, and it could bring some good vibes to a team that has had its fair share of turmoil over the past few weeks. 

Despite punching teammate Jordan Poole, Draymond Green will play in the Warriors’ season opener, and Poole and Andrew Wiggins have new four-year extensions with the team. 

All is right in Golden State?

One could say that, and facing the Los Angeles Lakers is a great matchup to start the season. The Lakers were rocked in the preseason, and they may bring Russell Westbrook off the bench to attempt to fix the issues from last season. 

It’s unclear if that will work, but only Anthony Davis and LeBron James can be trusted in this lineup with so many moving parts over the offseason. 

Here’s how the Lakers and Warriors stack up in the odds for their season opener: 

Lakers vs. Warriors Odds, Spread and Total

Lakers vs. Warriors Prediction and Pick

I’m all over Golden State in this game, especially since the Warriors were one of the best teams in the NBA at home last season. 

Golden State was 29-19-1 against the spread at home, winning those games by an average margin of victory of 10.8 points. 

Even though the Lakers have the LeBron factor, this team looked awful in the preseason, and I don’t think the supporting cast is enough to match up with Golden State. The Lakers underachieved last season, and they are running back a very similar roster this season in hopes that James and Davis will stay healthy. The Warriors will be relying on some young guys (Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, James Wiseman), but overall I think they are a far deeper team than the Lakers.

With Klay Thompson also entering the season healthy, I make Golden State closer to a 8.5 or 9-point favorite in this game. Give me the Warriors on opening night. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Find Peter Dewey’s full betting record here.

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