Just another quiet trade deadline in the NBA, huh? We’ve not got Luka Doncic in a Laker uniform after they were offered one of the top three players in the league by the Mavericks in a mind-blowing deal involving Anthony Davis.
The Warriors were also busy as they traded for Jimmy Butler to give them and Steph Curry the chance to challenge for another title this season.
The Lakers and the Warriors face off in Los Angeles in the early hours of Friday morning and Paddy has given us a money back as a free bet on losing Bet Builders. Let’s get the picks from our tipster James Walters.
Golden State Warriors @ Los Angeles Lakers Bet Builder Tips
Los Angeles Lakers to win
Lebron James to score 25+ points
Lebron James to record 8+ assists
Stephen Curry to score 25+ points
Austin Reaves to score 20+ points
Austin Reaves to record 6+ assists
- A Bet Builder with these bets pays at approximately 9/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
Los Angeles Lakers to win
We won’t see Doncic or Butler at the Crypto.com Arena but we can still enjoy watching LeBron James and Curry battling it out. They’ll be a big focus of our Bet Builder but our first pick is the Lakers to win.
JJ Redick’s side finished 5-1 on their Grammy road trip and they’re on a three-game win streak to leave them fifth in the Western Conference.
While the Warriors will be happy they’ve landed Butler, the Lakers camp will be giddy after landing Doncic, even if he isn’t playing right now.
The Warriors just lost against the Utah Jazz despite Curry dropping 32 points. We’re expecting the Lakers to extend their winning run.
Lebron James to score 25+ points & to record 8+ assists
James says he thought it was a hoax when he got the call to say Doncic was heading to the Lakers. He’s now got a superstar team-mate who can take the pressure off him on any given night.
Until Doncic makes his debut however, the pressure is still on James. He’s used to it though and he’s averaging 24.1 points, 9.1 assists and 7.6 rebounds per game this season.
He’s dropped 25, 22, 31, 24, 33 and 26 points in his last six games and he’s shooting over 51 per cent from the field. His scoring run should continue against this .500 Warriors team and we like him to finish with at least 25 points.
We’re all well aware of James’ ability to dish it and he’s still doing it in his 22nd season in the league.
James is averaging just over nine assists per game and he’s finished with eight or more assists in 15 of his last 16 games. The statistics are in our favour!
Stephen Curry to score 25+ points
From James to Curry now and we’re keeping it pretty simple and backing the best shooter ever to score 25+ points.
Curry, who always shines on the biggest stages, is averaging 22.4 points per game this season but he put up 32 against the Jazz last time out.
He took 31 shots with 18 of them coming from beyond the three-point line against Utah and he’ll likely have a similar output against the Lakers with both teams a little short handed after the trades.
Austin Reaves to score 20+ points & to record 6+ assists
Austin Reaves has been running the point for the Lakers this season and it’s working under Redick.
He’s putting up an average of 18.4 points per game and 6.2 assists in his fourth year in the league.
Reaves scored 27 against the Knicks a couple of games ago and he followed that up with 20 against the LA Clippers last time out.
Most of the attention will be on James, meaning Reaves can chip away and get up to the 20-point mark.
Reaves is averaging over seven assists per game since the start of December and we expect him to finish with at least six dimes against the Warriors.
He’s ended up with six or more assists in seven of his last eight games and that should continue.
NBA tips
Los Angeles Lakers to win
Lebron James to score 25+ points
Lebron James to record 8+ assists
Stephen Curry to score 25+ points
Austin Reaves to score 20+ points
Austin Reaves to record 6+ assists
- A Bet Builder with these bets pays at approximately 9/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
Read More
- Get the latest NBA Basketball odds on PaddyPower.com
- Basketball Betting Strategies: Three Tips for NBA Bettors
- How to bet on basketball: Your complete guide
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