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The Western Conference play-in tournament wraps up on Wednesday evening, May 19th. The No. 8 Golden State Warriors will travel to face the No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers, with tip-off set for 10 p.m. The winner of this game secures the No. 7 seed in the first round while the loser will face the winner of the Spurs-Grizzlies game for a shot at the eight seed.
Below is a look at a number of predictions ahead of Wednesday night’s game for the DraftKings Sportsbook NBA Playoffs pools.
Warriors vs. Lakers play-in tournament pool picks
Which team will cover the spread? Warriors +6.5, Lakers -6.5
This isn’t a true elimination game, but LeBron James tends to deliver in key postseason matchups. Anthony Davis is healthy and has is averaging 28.0 points per game in his last five contests. The Lakers are the pick to win the game and while Stephen Curry is capable of keeping this thing close, I believe Los Angeles will eventually pull away late to cover the spread.
Warriors vs. Lakers: Total Points 222.5
This is an incredibly low total. The Warriors are averaging 113.7 points per game. The Lakers averaged 109.5 points per game, but were without James and Davis for large portions of the year. This will be a high-scoring game and the over is the play.
Which team will reach 30 Points first? Warriors, Lakers
What this bet essentially boils down to is whether you think Curry will open up the game hot. I don’t believe the Lakers are going to give him the chance to get in rhythm early and are more likely to reach 30 points first. James should set the tone in this game early.
Which combination of players will have more Points and Assists? Steph Curry/Draymond Green OR LeBron James/Dennis Schroder
If this was James and Davis, that would be the easy choice. Curry and Green would be the choice here. They’re going to responsible for a large chunk of Golden State’s offensive output and while James is an all-around superstar, Davis will carry a significant load for the Lakers. Schroder is a good contributor, but Golden State’s duo is the play here.
Who will finish the with most Points, Rebounds, and Assists? Steph Curry, LeBron James, Anthony Davis
If James is in any bet involving all-encompassing statistics, he’s the easy pick. The guy has averaged 27-7-7 over 1,310 career regular season games. In his 260 career playoff contests, he’s putting up 29-7-9. The King is the pick here, even though Curry may score more individual points.
Which team will win the 4th quarter? Warriors or Lakers
I don’t think this game will be a blowout and the Lakers will manage playing time to have James and Davis on the floor closing this game. Los Angeles should pull away late in this game, meaning it’ll likely be the Lakers winning the fourth quarter.
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