The Lakers look to snap a three-game losing streak on Saturday in San Francisco when they take on the Warriors in a road tilt.
Fans looking forward to another chapter of the LeBron James-Stephen Curry saga will have to wait, as Curry will miss his tenth straight game due to a knee injury.
Luka Dončić and Los Angeles are 3.5-point favorites, with the Over/Under checking in at 229.5 points.
The Lakers’ up-and-down play of late has culminated in back-to-back one-possession losses to both the Magic and the Suns.
It seems like when a timely stop is needed, the team has failed to close out a complete defensive sequence.
Offensively, things haven’t been as consistent either, particularly the play of starting guard Austin Reaves. Since returning from a calf injury in early February, the Oklahoma product is averaging 19.6 points and 3.7 assists in nine games.
This is an alarming decline from the 26.6 points and 6.3 assists he averaged before getting hurt on Christmas Day against the Rockets. That, combined with James and Dončić picking up more of the playmaking slack while he was out, has also played a role.
Steve Kerr and the Warriors’ defense have quietly become better as the season has progressed, ranking 9th (112.5 defensive rating) per NBA Advanced Stats entering Saturday’s contest.
With no Curry in the lineup, defensive-minded guards De’Anthony Melton and Gary Payton II have absorbed plenty of rotation minutes.
Betting on the NBA?
Reaves points and assists line has floated between 23.5 and 24.5 across many sportsbooks this afternoon.
He’s failed to eclipse either of these lines during LA’s three-game losing slump, and I see this trend continuing.
Fade Reaves in this spot, as he continues to get his legs back under him, expect James and Dončić to command more offensive usage.
The Play: Austin Reaves Points+Assists Under 24.5 (-125, BetMGM Sportsbook)
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Mike Turay is a sports journalist and editor who closely follows the NBA, NFL, college sports and UFC. He has demonstrated expertise in both NBA and NFL player prop bets for nearly three years. Mike is also highly knowledgeable about the sportsbook offer landscape, frequently trying and reviewing the latest apps and sites.
