Best NBA prop bets today for Lakers vs. Warriors (Dream matchup for Steph Curry from 3)
By Peter Dewey
The Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers played a double-overtime thriller in their last meeting with the Warriors coming up short in a one-point loss.
These teams meet again on Thursday, but a key face – Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James – won’t be in action for the Lakers.
How does this alter the prop market for this matchup?
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There are two Warriors players that I love to have big games on Thursday and one Lakers guard that should step up in James’ absence. Let’s dive into the plays for this Western Conference showdown:
Lakers vs. Warriors best NBA prop bets
- Steph Curry OVER 5.5 3-pointers made
- Austin Reaves OVER 17.5 points
- Brandin Podziemski OVER 12.5 rebounds and assists
Steph Curry OVER 5.5 3-pointers made
Curry entered the All-Star break hitting seven or more shots from beyond the arc in four of his last five games. The Warriors star guard has a dream matchup tonight, as the Lakers rank 28th in the NBA in opponent 3-pointers made per game this season.
In his first meeting against Los Angeles, Curry made 9-of-21 shots from beyond the arc. He’s attempted at least 11 shots from 3-point range in nine of his last 12 games.
With Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent out, the Lakers lack an elite defensive option to put on Curry. I expect him to have a big game from deep, especially since he’s shooting over 42.0 percent from 3 on the season. If the attempts are there, Curry should clear this prop.
Austin Reaves OVER 17.5 points
With James out, Anthony Davis, D’Angelo Russell, and Austin Reaves are going to need to pick up the slack scoring the ball.
I think Reaves is the best Laker to bet on in terms of his points prop this season. The Lakers guard is averaging 15.8 points per game in the 2023-24 campaign, but that number jumps to 19.7 points per game in the seven matchups he’s played without James this season.
Not only that, but Reaves has cleared 17.5 points in five of those seven games, including 22 and 32-point showings in his last two.
Reaves took 14 shots in his last game against Golden State but shot just 4-for-14 and scored 17 points. He should be due for some positive regression on Thursday with LeBron out.
Brandin Podziemski OVER 12.5 rebounds and assists
Warriors rookie Brandin Podziemski has been a beast on the glass – and in the assists department – and now he’s starting for Golden State again after Steve Kerr benched Klay Thompson.
Podz has cleared 12.5 rebounds and assists in four of his last five games and eight of his last 10. On the season, he’s pushed those numbers to 5.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game despite playing a very small role to open the campaign.
As long as the rookie is on the floor for 30+ minutes, he’s a great bet to clear this number.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.