The Warriors were heavily favored to beat the Kings in Round 1. They did, but it was far less straightforward than the oddsmakers projected. The Warriors were favored to win the series at -270, meaning a winning $270 bet would net a payout of $100.
The Warriors are again favored vs. the Lakers in Round 2 of the NBA playoffs, but at much shorter odds of -145. They are projected to beat Los Angeles by 4.5 points in the series premier on Tuesday at Chase Center.
After the start on Tuesday, there’s two days between every game of the series, which could affect the energy level of both teams considering they are on the older side. It might affect the Warriors more due to the fact that they just had to go the distance vs. the Kings, while the Lakers dispatched with the Grizzlies in six.
The Warriors and Lakers played four times this season, with Los Angeles wining three of four. LeBron and Curry only played in one of those games, and it was the one Golden State won, 123-109 in the first game of the season.
This will be the first time the Warriors have faced James in a playoff series since 2018, when they beat LeBron for the third time in the NBA Finals in four years.