Steph Curry, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson. The Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers face off in a star-studded second-round showdown in the 2023 NBA Playoffs. 

Neither was supposed to get to the second round. The Warriors eliminated the No. 3-seeded Sacramento Kings in seven games thanks to a 50-point effort from Curry. The Lakers rolled past the No. 2-seed Memphis Grizzlies. 

The Lakers or the Warriors have represented the Western Conference in the NBA Finals in 10 of the last 15 seasons. The Warriors have won four of the last seven championships. Two of the three times they didn’t win, LeBron did. 

Ahead of Game 1, Bookies.com breaks down the series and makes our NBA picks to back on betting apps.

Lakers vs. Warriors Game 1 Odds

Lakers vs. Warriors Betting Tips

LeBron vs. Curry: They’re two of the 10 greatest basketball players in history, but in head-to-head play, the King reigns supreme. Over the 43 games in their storied careers, James has averaged 30.8 points, 10.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists, Curry at 24.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 6.3 assists. Over the last two seasons, the gap has widened. LeBron is averaging 36.7 ppg, 12.8 rpg and 6.0 apg, Curry 27, 6.5 and 6.3. If the Game 1 points O/U for LeBron is any indication (26.5), we can invest in the King for a couple games. 

AD A Key? When Davis shows up on offense, the Lakers thrive – except when he faces the Warriors. L.A. is 15-5 when AD (25.9 ppg this season) scores 30 points. Against Golden State, he went 14-of-25 shooting (39 points) in the season-opening loss over the Warriors, and managed 12, 13 and 27 points in the three wins. Matched up against defense-first Kevon Looney, who averaged 14.4 rebounds vs. the Kings, and Unders on AD might be the better side. 

Warriors Best Lineup: Golden State’s starting five of Curry, Draymond Green, Looney, Thompson and Andrew Wiggins have 23 games together this season. They’re only 13-10 (.565 win percentage). The Lakers’ lineup that includes LeBron, AD, D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves and Jarred Vanderbilt is 5-1 (.833). 

Lakers vs. Warriors Picks

The Warriors are -145 favorites on betting apps to eliminate the Lakers and advance to the Western Conference Finals. L.A. is posted at +120. There isn’t much to take away from the regular season matchups. The Lakers won three of four, but only one of those featured LeBron and Steph in the lineup, and that was on Opening Night – a long time ago (the Warriors won 123-109). 

Most of the matchups, however, are on the side of Golden State. The Lakers rank 29th out of 30 teams in defense vs. point guards, while the Warriors rank Top 10 vs. SF and PF. Nobody may stop LeBron, but Davis could be in a tough spot and Golden State’s stars are in a position to continue shining. Take the Warriors to win the series. Warriors In 6 at +550 on NBA betting sites is also tempting, especially after we saw them take care of business in Sacramento on Sunday. 

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Lakers vs. Warriors Schedule

• Game 1: Los Angeles at Golden State, Tues., May 2, 10 p.m. ET (TNT)
• Game 2: Los Angeles at Golden State, Thur, May 4, 9 p.m. ET (ESPN)
• Game 3: Golden State at Los Angeles, Sat., May 6, 8:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
• Game 4: Golden State at Los Angeles, Mon., May 8, 10 p.m. ET (TNT)
• *Game 5: Los Angeles at Golden State, Wed., May 10, TBD (TNT)
• *Game 6: Golden State at Los Angeles, Fri., May 12, TBD (ESPN)
• *Game 7: Los Angeles at Golden State, Sun., May 14, TBD

* if necessary