NBA Pacific Division rivals tip off the 2025-26 NBA season when the Golden State Warriors take on the Los Angeles Lakers on NBA Opening Night on Tuesday. Los Angeles forward LeBron James (sciatica) is out and is not expected to make his season debut until mid-November. The Warriors (48-34), who finished third in the division a year ago, were 29-23 within the Western Conference last season. The Lakers (50-32), who won the Pacific Division in 2024-25, were 36-16 against conference opponents.
Tipoff from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles is set for 10 p.m. ET. The Lakers lead the all-time series 265-177, including wins in three of four games last season. Golden State is a 2.5-point favorite in the latest Lakers vs. Warriors odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 227.5. Before making any Warriors vs. Lakers picks, check out the NBA predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
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The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past seven seasons. The model enters the 2025-26 NBA season on a sizzling 160-118 roll on all top-rated NBA picks, returning nearly $4,000. It also went 24-11 (69%) on top-rated NBA against-the-spread picks last season. Anyone following its NBA betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.
Now, the model has simulated Warriors vs. Lakers 10,000 times and just revealed its coveted NBA picks and betting predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several NBA odds and NBA betting lines for Lakers vs. Warriors:
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Warriors vs. Lakers spread: |
Golden State -2.5 at DraftKings |
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Warriors vs. Lakers over/under: |
227.5 points |
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Warriors vs. Lakers money line: |
Golden State -143, Los Angeles +121 |
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Warriors vs. Lakers picks: |
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Warriors vs. Lakers streaming: |
Fubo (Try for free) |
Why the Warriors can cover
Golden State is led by veteran guard Stephen Curry. In 70 games, all starts, last season, he averaged 24.5 points, six assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 32.2 minutes. Curry, 37, begins his franchise-record 17th NBA season. He surpassed 300 3-pointers made for an NBA-record sixth season with 311 last year. Curry registered his 25,000 career point against the Detroit Pistons this past March 8.
Also powering the Warriors’ offense is 14-year veteran forward Jimmy Butler III. He was acquired at the trade deadline from the Miami Heat last year. In 30 games for Golden State, all starts, he averaged 17.9 points, 5.9 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 32.7 minutes. In a 102-97 loss to Minnesota in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals last year, Butler poured in 33 points, while grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out seven assists. See which team to back at SportsLine.
Why the Lakers can cover
Luka Doncic is the cornerstone of the Los Angeles franchise. After being acquired at the trade deadline from the Dallas Mavericks last season, Doncic played in 28 regular-season games for the Lakers. He averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 1.6 steals in 35.1 minutes. He scored a season-high 45 points as a member of the Mavericks, adding 11 rebounds, 13 assists, three steals and two blocks in 37 minutes against Golden State in San Francisco on Dec. 15.
Veteran guard Austin Reaves is another offensive weapon for the Lakers. In 73 games last season, all starts, he averaged 20.2 points, 5.8 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 34.9 minutes. He scored in double figures in 68 games, including 57 with 15 or more points, 36 games with 20 or more, 10 with 30 or more and one with more than 40. He registered eight double-doubles and one triple-double. See which team to back at SportsLine.
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How to make Warriors vs. Lakers picks
SportsLine’s model has simulated Warriors vs. Lakers 10,000 times and is leaning Under the total, projecting 219 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in 60% of simulations. You can head to SportsLine to see the model’s NBA picks.
So who wins Lakers vs. Warriors, and which side of the spread hits in 60% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Warriors vs. Lakers spread to back, all from the model that has returned well over $10,000 on top-rated NBA picks, and find out.
