Warriors vs. Lakers Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Thursday, April 3

Thursday’s marquee matchup in the NBA features LeBron James and Steph Curry going head-to-head for the fourth and final time in the 2024-25 regular season.

There’s a chance that the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors could match up in the playoffs, as L.A. currently holds the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference while Golden State is the No. 5 seed.

The Warriors have been surging since adding Jimmy Butler, going 19-4 in the 23 games that he’s appeared in. Meanwhile, the Lakers have pushed themselves into title contention since adding Luka Doncic.

Neither Butler or Doncic has played in a Warriors-Lakers meeting yet this season, but Los Angeles has dominated the season series, winning all three games.

After Steph Curry dropped 52 points in a win on Tuesday, can the Warriors avoid the season sweep?

Here’s a breakdown of the odds, players to bet on in the prop market and my prediction for this Western Conference showdown.

Warriors vs. Lakers Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

Warriors +1 (-110)
Lakers -1 (-110)

Moneyline

Warriors: +105
Lakers: -125

Total

228 (Over -110/Under -110)

Warriors vs. Lakers How to Watch

Date: Thursday, April 3
Time: 10:00 p.m. EST
Venue: Crypto.com Arena
How to Watch (TV): TNT
Warriors record: 44-31
Lakers record: 46-29

Warriors vs. Lakers Injury Reports

Warriors Injury Report

Jonathan Kuminga – questionable
Gary Payton II – out

Lakers Injury Report

LeBron James – probable
Maxi Kleber – out

Warriors vs. Lakers Best NBA Prop Bets

Golden State Warriors Best NBA Prop Bet

Steph Curry OVER 5.5 Assists (-125)

Earlier today, I shared in my NBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points – why Steph Curry is one of my favorite prop targets on Thursday:

This season, Curry has six or more assists in two of his three matchups with the Lakers, and he scored 37 points in the one game that he failed to clear this line.

Overall, Curry is averaging 6.1 assists on 10.5 potential assists per game, and he’s picked up six or more dimes in four of his last five games.

The Lakers have slipped a bit on defense as of late, ranking 18th in the NBA in defensive rating over their last 10 games. On top of that, Los Angeles is 22nd in the NBA in opponent assists per game.

Curry has been on a scoring heat, dropping 52 points on Tuesday night, knocking down 12 3-pointers in the process. I wouldn’t be shocked to see the Lakers do everything they can to get the ball out of the two-time league MVP’s hands in this matchup.

It’s worth noting that Steph still had eight dimes in Tuesday’s contest despite such a high-scoring performance.

Los Angeles Lakers Best NBA Prop Bet

LeBron James OVER 23.5 Points (-115)

Yes, LeBron has struggled as of late, averaging just 18.7 points per game across six matchups since returning from a groin injury.

However, he has dominated against Golden State this season, scoring 42, 31 and 25 points in three games. The Warriors don’t have a ton of size to protect the rim, and even if Draymond Green draws the LeBron assignment, the four-time champion hasn’t had any problems putting up points against the Warriors.

Overall, James is averaging 24.4 points per game while shooting 51.0 percent from the field and 37.4 percent from 3.

Warriors vs. Lakers Prediction and Pick

The Warriors have really outplayed the Lakers over their last 10 games, ranking seventh in the NBA in net rating while Los Angeles is 19th, but James and company have been very tough to bet against at home in the 2024-25 season.

So far this season, the Lakers are 19-10 against the spread as home favorites – the fourth-best mark in the NBA.

While I’d consider taking the points with Golden State if this spread was a little wider, oddsmakers are essentially setting this game as a pick’em on Thursday. Golden State has losses by eight, 10 and two to the Lakers in the 2024-25 campaign, and I’m not sold on the Butler-Luka additions favoring Golden State in this game.

The Lakers are also starting to pick things up as of late, winning two straight games to jump Denver for the No. 3 seed in the West.

I’ll back the trend and pick the Lakers to win this game outright on Thursday night.

Pick: Lakers Moneyline (-125 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

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