Since getting nipped in Dallas, the Golden State Warriors have been up to their old tricks.
They've won seven games in a row, scoring at least 111 in all seven, and they theoretically shouldn't have much of a problem dismissing the Los Angeles Lakers for the third time this season on Thursday night in front of their hometown fans.
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SCHEDULING
The Warriors are playing the second game of a back-to-back in this one, but we aren't all that concerned about them considering their history. In situations in which they haven't had a day off to prepare for a game, they're 8-2 ATS and have an average MOV of 10.7 points per game, second in the NBA to San Antonio.
The Lakers might have to play this one on the road, but live bettors should be far more concerned about the way their roster stacks up instead of scheduling. LA has a day off on Wednesday after taking on the Pelicans Tuesday night at home.
KEY MATCHUP
An Achilles injury could keep Kobe Bryant out for this game, but in a plot twist which really shouldn’t be all that surprising at this point in the year, that might help the Lakers out.
Golden State might be the worst team in the league for Bryant to be playing against, as he just can't run the way that he used to back in his prime. Add in poor shooting percentages and overall poor defensive ratings even in half court sets, and Bryant is more of a liability at this point than an asset.
If Bryant is on the court, live bet away against the Lakers for sure, but if he isn't out there, the question is whether the youngsters can keep up with the pace which Golden State is going to bring. Thus far, the answer to that has been a resounding no in two matchups this year.
The Dubs were up 107-64 midway through the fourth in the first meeting of the year before taking their foot off the gas pedal with reserves, while in the second clash, they were up 88-55 with two minutes left in the third before pulling basically everyone for the rest of the game as well.
KEY STATS & TRENDS
Stephen Curry was +36 and +29 in the two previous meetings against the Lakers this year, and he did so with only knocking down 8-of-20 threes along the way. Monday night against Miami was the very first time this season that Curry had a negative plus/minus in a game. It's tough to imagine that occurring once again against such a poor LA team.
The real problem the Lakers have in terms of keeping up with live betting is the fact that they just can't score. Go back to that stat at the top about the Warriors scoring at least 111 points in seven straight games. That's nothing new for a club averaging 114.4 points per game.
Meanwhile, the Lakers are good for just 96.7 points per game and have the worst shooting percentage in the league at 41.3 percent. Even if you took Bryant out of the fold, LA would still rank just No. 26 in the league in scoring efficiency, and that's going to get you killed against the Dubs.
NBA live bettors should be ready for the inevitable run coming for the Warriors in this game. It's just a question of how long it's going to take to start and how long it's going to last.
Access live betting from your mobile device or tablet at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker's live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneylines are all available by clicking here, so start betting with BookMaker right now! Bet on the NBA today as the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors square off Thursday, January 14, 2016 at 10:30 p.m. ET at Oracle Arena. The matchup will be televised nationally on TNT.
