The battle for Pacific Division supremacy heats up Thursday night as the Los Angeles Lakers aim to complete their first season sweep of the Warriors since 2019-20, while Golden State rides into town on a three-game winning streak fueled by Steph Curry's scorching 52-point performance against Memphis.
With the fourth-seeded Lakers holding a slim two-game advantage over the fifth-place Warriors, this showdown features fascinating tactical contrasts - LA's dominance in the paint and league-leading free-throw rate against Golden State's lethal perimeter attack that's connecting on 15.4 threes per game.
Recent history suggests fireworks at Crypto.com Arena where eight of the last nine meetings between these teams have produced high-scoring affairs, setting the stage for what promises to be an electric clash between the Los Angeles Lakers vs Golden State Warriors.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors prediction: who will win?
For tonight's Los Angeles Lakers vs Golden State Warriors matchup, our predictive model gives the Warriors a 58.33% chance of defeating the Lakers.
Pre-game probabilities
Golden State Warriors
Moneyline
Win %
58.33%
41.67%
Los Angeles Lakers
Golden State Warriors: 58.33% win probability
- Better defensive efficiency (8315 points allowed compared to Lakers' 8417)
- Stronger recent form (WWWLL vs Lakers' WWLWL)
- Higher winning percentage (58.7% vs Lakers' 61.3%)
Los Angeles Lakers: 41.67% win probability
- Weaker defensive record (8417 points allowed vs Warriors' 8315)
- Less consistent scoring (8479 points scored vs Warriors' 8528)
- Lower overall seeding (3rd in Western Conference vs Warriors' 5th position)
At Sporting Post, our unique prediction model brings together insights from top NBA experts. Instead of searching through countless expert analyses online, you can rely on our predictions to capture the market's overall sentiment. We scan trusted sources, analyzing expert picks, data, and trends, while our AI assigns a confidence level to each prediction. These confidence levels are then averaged to generate an 'expert opinion' win probability—providing a data-driven reflection of the collective intelligence of the industry's leading NBA analysts..
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Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors preview
The Lakers welcome the red-hot Warriors to Crypto.com Arena tonight in what promises to be a Pacific Division thriller with serious playoff seeding implications.
Golden State enters on fire, having won 12 of their last 15 games, including a dazzling performance from Steph Curry who dropped 52 points on Memphis last time out, going 12-for-20 from downtown with 10 rebounds.
The Lakers, currently sitting in fourth place in the Western Conference, hold a slim two-game lead over the fifth-place Warriors and will look to complete their first season sweep of Golden State since 2019-20.
Both squads bring contrasting strengths to the table – the Warriors rely heavily on their lethal three-point shooting (15.4 made per game), while the Lakers dominate inside with the league's highest free-throw rate and fifth-best 2-point percentage.
LeBron James and Luka Doncic will need to exploit Golden State's interior defense, though the Lakers' recent struggles defending the perimeter (allowing 39.6% from three over their last seven games) could spell trouble against Curry and company.
The history between these California rivals adds another layer of intrigue – eight of their last nine matchups have gone over the total, suggesting we might be in for an offensive showcase.
The Warriors will be without Gary Payton II (thumb) while Jonathan Kuminga (16 PPG) remains questionable, but the duo of Curry and Jimmy Butler has been nearly unstoppable, with Golden State going 18-2 when both share the floor.
Given the Warriors' momentum and the Lakers' inconsistency against mid-tier teams lately, this showdown could easily go either way, making it a must-watch for basketball fans across the country.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors form
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors head to head
Los Angeles Lakers
83%
Golden State Warriors
17%
Feb 7, 2025
Los Angeles Lakers
120 : 112
Golden State Warriors
Jan 26, 2025
Golden State Warriors
108 : 118
Los Angeles Lakers
Dec 26, 2024
Golden State Warriors
113 : 115
Los Angeles Lakers
Oct 19, 2024
Golden State Warriors
132 : 74
Los Angeles Lakers
Oct 16, 2024
Los Angeles Lakers
97 : 111
Golden State Warriors
Jul 7, 2024
Golden State Warriors
92 : 68
Los Angeles Lakers
