Lakers vs. Warriors Game 2 prediction & betting odds: NBA playoffs, 5/4

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The Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors are set to play Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals Thursday, with tip-off scheduled for 9:00 PM ET. In Game 1, the Lakers edged out the victory over the Warriors, 117-112, largely behind an incredibly impressive performance from Anthony Davis.

Below, we’ll provide our top Lakers vs. Warriors prediction for Game 2 and explain how to qualify for BetMGM’s new user promotion.

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Game 1 was characterized by high-scoring performances from both teams; however, the Lakers were able to best the Warriors primarily as a result of forward Anthony Davis’ (30 points, 23 rebounds, five assists, four blocks) performance. Fellow forward LeBron James also made significant contributions, adding 22 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and three blocks.

On the Warriors’ end, the offense was – as it usually is – led by the guard combo of Stephen Curry (27 points, six rebounds, three assists, one steal) and Klay Thompson (25 points,  three rebounds, four assists).

Coming into Game 2, the Warriors are likely to focus on getting the ball into the hands of their shooters: Curry, Thompson and Jordan Poole. Each of these three players knocked down 6 three-pointers and surpassed 20 points in Game 1, which will likely be a theme throughout the series as long as they get enough looks.

Still, the Warriors were outplayed by the Lakers in Game 1 for two reasons: one, Anthony Davis went off on a ridiculous scoring streak. There’s not much you can do about that, and it isn’t likely that Golden State changes their gameplan much as a result.

Two, they struggled to score in the paint. Los Angeles blocked 10 shots in Game 1, illustrating the inability the Warriors had to score near the basket.

If Golden State is going to win Game 2 and notch the series at 1 apiece, they will need to lean on their three-point shooting. Fortunately for them, they have two of the greatest three-point shooters of all-time in Curry and Thompson. If both are shooting the ball well in Game 2, the Warriors are likely to win; however, if even one of them is off, the combination of Anthony Davis and LeBron James may be too much to handle.

Davis and James are going to score in the paint and prevent shots from going up on the other side of the court. As we mentioned, there’s not a lot that can be done about that from a gameplan perspective, other than double-teaming when they get the ball in the paint.

However, not all hope is lost for the Warriors – as we’ve seen in the past, it’s near impossible to keep up with the Warriors offense when it’s clicking. The only question is: will it click? We think the home-court advantage will help Curry and Thompson heat up in this one, meaning our top Lakers vs. Warriors prediction is for the Warriors to win outright and cover the -5.5-point spread (-110 at BetMGM), tying the series at 1.

Besides taking the Warriors against the spread, there are a few additional lines we think provide value to bettors. The first of these is the total, which is currently set at 227.5 (over -110) on BetMGM. In Game 1, the two teams combined to score 229 points, which would have cashed for over bettors using the Game 2 total. What makes this line so valuable is the fact that we believe the Warriors have more in the tank than they showed in the opener.

The trends back up this notion as well. The over has hit in six of the last nine matchups between these two teams, including four of their last five with Golden State playing as the home team. The over has hit in seven of the Lakers’ last nine road games and 11 of their last 16 overall.

The total has also gone over in four of Golden State’s last five matchups during the month of May. Considering each team combined for 229 points in Game 1 despite a relatively lackluster performance from Curry and Thompson, we think the over is a great bet that is even more likely to hit if the Warriors win. As a result, the over makes the cut among our top Lakers vs. Warriors predictions.

If you’re feeling bold, you can even parlay our top two Lakers vs. Warriors predictions – the Warriors against the spread and the over – into a (+250) bet using BetMGM’s One-Game Parlay feature.

Either way, click this link to sign up with BetMGM and qualify for their new-user bet insurance promotion. Once you register using a link from this article, make a deposit of at least $10 and bet $10 or more on any sports market (such as our Lakers vs. Warriors predictions), you’ll qualify to earn your entire first bet back in bonus credits – up to $1,000 – if it loses.

This new-user BetMGM promotion is a great way to get started betting on the NBA. To qualify, you’ll need to satisfy the following conditions:

• Be a first-time BetMGM Sportsbook user
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• Make a deposit of at least $10
• Bet at least $10 on any sports market (including our Lakers vs. Warriors predictions above)

Once you complete the steps outlined above, you’ll qualify to earn your entire first bet back in bonus credits if it loses, up to $1,000. No promo code is required – just sign up using a link from this article to ensure you qualify.

Here are the latest Lakers vs. Warriors betting odds for Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals, brought to you by BetMGM Sportsbook:

• Money line: Los Angeles Lakers (+190), Golden State Warriors (-250)
• Point spread: Los Angeles Lakers +5.5 (-110), Golden State Warriors -5.5 (-110)
• Point total: Over 227.5 (-110), Under 227.5 (-110)

If you’re excited to bet on our Lakers vs. Warriors predictions, hurry over to BetMGM Sportsbook and . Once you sign up using a link from this article, make a deposit of at least $10 and bet at least $10 on any sports market – like our Lakers vs. Warriors predictions – you’ll qualify for first-bet insurance worth up to $1,000 if your initial wager loses. No promo code is required for this bonus: instead, you’ll need to use one of our links to ensure you qualify.

With the NBA playoffs currently in the semifinal round, there are eight teams left in contention, including:

• Los Angeles Lakers
• Golden State Warriors
• Philadelphia 76ers
• Boston Celtics
• Denver Nuggets
• Phoenix Suns
• New York Knicks
• Miami Heat

If you’re a fan of any of these teams or just want to tail our Lakers vs. Warriors prediction above, utilize this link to create a BetMGM Sportsbook account and qualify for their new-user promotion.

Once you sign up using the link above, make a deposit of at least $10 and bet $10 or more on any sports line, you’ll qualify to earn your entire first bet back in bonus credits if it loses, up to $1,000. No promo code is required: just use a link from this article to sign up and you’ll be on your way toward qualifying for this promo.

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