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In the second round of the NBA playoffs, the No. 6 Golden State Warriors will take on the No. 7 seed Los Angeles Lakers. With the action starting at San Francisco’s Chase Center on Tuesday, the Warriors come in favored by 4.5 points at DraftKings Sportsbook to win Game 1. For the overall series, Golden State is a -145 favorite to win, while the Lakers are priced at +120 to advance to the conference finals.
Warriors vs. Lakers series props
Series Winner: Lakers (+120)
I like this play just because it is plus money, and the Lakers have confidently beaten Golden State in the past three meetings. If this series was priced as a pick ‘em, I may be inclined to go with the reigning champions. Still, sometimes it’s best to let the odds decide for us. With the Lakers fully healthy at the moment, I don’t mind play on them here at +120.
Series Exact Games: 6 (+205)
I like this play at over 2/1 money if also sprinkling something small on 7 games (+185). Understanding the moment, the players and the brands at play for the NBA in this one, I’m sure the league and television networks would love to see a full seven games. I admit that the talent on the floor should warrant a back-and-forth series but with six games paying out better than seven games at DraftKings Sportsbook, it is worth while to take chance on that. I think we can all rule out a sweep for either side in this matchup and I also see it likely requiring more than five games. Six or seven games seems to be reasonable, and six offers a better payout.
Series Spread: Lakers -1.5 Games (+195)
As aforementioned, I really think this series will be tightly contested on both ends. Additionally, I have confidence that the Warriors will win this series in seven games, but if any side is going to run away with it, the Lakers have a better shot at that. Basically, if the series is close, I think it goes to the Warriors. If it ends up being a lopsided matchup, then I believe it goes to Los Angeles. If you think the Lakers can win this series 4-2 or better, then this is a valuable play at +195.