The Los Angeles Lakers haven’t played a game with LeBron James since he injured his groin on Christmas Day against the Golden State Warriors. The team has slid down the standings without him, and it is hoping to get him back as the teams meet again this weekend.
The Lakers are outside the playoff picture as they have struggled without their star and have little chance at beating Golden State on the road without James back in the fold. Even with him, the Lakers would be underdogs as the Warriors are playing at an extremely high level now that they are completely healthy.
Golden State started the season slowly but has caught fire and will look to continue this streak against Los Angeles in NBA odds.
This NBA basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors will be held at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California at 8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 2nd, 2019. The game will be nationally televised on ABC.
We'll have NBA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for every game of the 2019 NBA season.
Odds Analysis
The Lakers are just 26-25 on the season. They have lost 11 of their 17 games without James, dropping from the No. 4 spot in the West to No. 9, which is outside of the eight playoff seeds. Los Angeles has gone 10-13 away from home this year, and the test here will be massive.
The Warriors are now 36-14 on the year. They have been absolutely crushing teams of late and have won 12 consecutive games. Golden State is 18-6 at home on the season. Home or away it would be favored but the spread could be really big in this one if James cannot play.
Injury Report
James is practicing with the team and there was hope he could return on Thursday against the Clippers, but that was ruled out. It does signal that he is getting close, and a return would be huge for the Lakers. The Western Conference is still tightly bundled and the return of James would help the team’s quest to start moving up the standings. Keep a close eye on his status for this game as it will have a significant effect on the spread.
Teammate Kyle Kuzma is dealing with a hip injury and his status needs to be considered as well. Kuzma has arguably been the team’s best player during James’ absence, and if they both can’t play this one might be a blowout.
Trade Speculation
The Lakers are rumored to be making a run at Pelicans superstar center Anthony Davis, who recently came out and said he wanted to be traded. A package from Los Angeles could be centered around Kuzma, Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball.
It will be interesting to see if anything happens for the deadline. A trade would need to be agreed to soon for it to have any effect on this matchup. In all likelihood, it will be the status quo for Los Angeles against the Warriors.
Free NBA ATS Picks
Back on Christmas, Golden State was struggling and Los Angeles looked to be announcing itself as a legitimate contender to the Warriors’ throne in the West. But James’ injury torpedoed the Lakers and the Warriors have since caught fire with 12 consecutive wins.
The return to health of DeMarcus Cousins has given Golden State a dominant big man, and rounds out arguably the most talented starting five in NBA history alongside Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green.
The Warriors should have no trouble dispatching the Lakers, and the belief here is that James will not yet be ready to play. Golden State will have to win by a lot to cover in NBA gambling.
NBA ATS Pick: Golden State Warriors 134, Los Angeles Lakers 113
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