Lakers vs. Warriors NBA expert prediction and odds for Thursday, Feb. 22 (Can L.A. cover?)

Another edition for the LeBron James-Steph Curry rivalry takes place on Thursday night in San Francisco as the Golden State Warriors will host the Los Angeles Lakers for the second meeting of the season between these teams. 

The Warriors are the No. 10 seed in the West while the Lakers hold the No. 9 spot, so there’s a chance we see these teams matched up in the play-in tournament this season as well. 

The first meeting between these teams turned out to be a double overtime thriller, with the Lakers coming away with a one-point win. The team has won four straight games in the series against Golden State. 

The Warriors are favored at home in this one, but the team hasn’t exactly been dominant at Chase Center, going 14-14 straight up in the 2023-24 campaign.

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Does that open the door for LeBron and the Lakers to at least cover?

Here’s a look at the latest odds and my best bet for this rivalry matchup:  

Lakers vs. Warriors odds, spread and total

Lakers vs. Warriors how to watch

• Date: Thursday, Feb. 22
• Time: 10:00 p.m. EST
• Venue: Chase Center
• How to watch (TV): TNT
• Lakers record: 30-26
• Warriors record: 27-26

Lakers vs. Warriors injury reports

Lakers injury report

• LeBron James – questionable
• Jarred Vanderbilt – out
• Gabe Vincent – out
• Cam Reddish – day-to-day
• Max Christie – day-to-day

Warriors injury report

• Chris Paul – out

Lakers vs. Warriors key players to watch

Los Angeles Lakers

LeBron James: There’s a chance that James (ankle) could miss this game – as he alluded to on All-Star Weekend – but if he plays, he’s a must watch. The 39-year-old is having a terrific season, and he put up a massive triple-double (36 points, 20 rebounds, 12 assists) in the Lakers’ win over Golden State earlier this season. 

Golden State Warriors

Stephen Curry: Curry has been carrying the Warriors with his scoring, moving his season average to 28.0 points per game while shooting 42.1 percent from 3. Steph had two 40-point games in his last five before the All-Star break. He also dropped 46 in the loss to L.A. earlier this season. 

Lakers vs. Warriors prediction and pick

If there’s one trend that stands out to me in this game, it’s the Warriors awful against the spread record when favored at home. 

Golden State is just 7-14 against the spread in that spot, and that’s not a good sign when taking on a Lakers team that has gone 10-8 ATS as a road underdog. 

A lot of this depends on James’ availability, as if he sits the Warriors should get a major boost, but the Lakers still have the talent to compete with the Warriors. 

Anthony Davis is in the midst of a great season, and the improved play of D’Angelo Russell – and Austin Reaves – has helped the Lakers come within striking distance of the No. 6 seed in the West. 

Curry has played great, but the team has dealt with up-and-down play from Andrew Wiggins and Klay Thompson all season. I’m not comfortable laying points with the Warriors since the Lakers are coming off a stretch where they played some of their best basketball of the season.  

Pick: Lakers +4.5 (-110)

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.