Trent Reinsmith
- What: NBA Opening Night 2023: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors
- Date: Tuesday, October 18, 2022
- Location: Chase Center in San Francisco, CA
- Time: 10 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: TNT
The 2022-23 NBA Season begins on Tuesday, October 18, with two games — one Eastern Conference matchup and one Western Conference tilt. In the West, the Los Angeles Lakers travel to San Francisco to meet the defending NBA Champion Golden State Warriors at Chase Center.
Last year, the Golden State Warriors finished the season with the third-best record in the Western Conference at 53-29. The team then marched through the playoffs, winning their fourth NBA title in eight seasons by dropping the Boston Celtics in six games.
In contrast, the Los Angeles Lakers finished the year with a losing record of 33-49. The team missed the playoffs. The Lakers have made the postseason twice since 2014. In 2020 the team won the NBA title. The following year they were bounced in the first round.
Before we look at the second of two games to be played on the opening night of the 2022-23 NBA Basketball Season — the Los Angeles Lakers vs. the Golden State Warriors, check out our guide to betting on the 2023 NBA Finals and our tips for betting on the NBA.
NBA Opening Night 2022-23 Picks: Lakers vs. Warriors
| Teams |  |  |  |  |  |
| Los Angeles Lakers | +205 | +200 | +205 | +210 | +200 |
| Golden State Warriors | -245 | -240 | -245 | -250 | -256 |
Los Angeles Lakers breakdown
The Los Angeles Lakers have two of the best players in the NBA in LeBron James and Anthony Davis. However, after that, the team does not have much and with Russell Westbrook suffering an injury in the team’s final pre-season game, the Lakers have even less heading into the opening night of the 2022-23 NBA season.
James played 56 games last year. While he was healthy and on the court he was productive, scoring 30.3 points per game. Davis only played in 40 games, scoring 23.2 points per game. Without Davis and James, the team relied on Westbrook for scoring. He played in 78 games and averaged 18.5 points per game.
The Lakers added depth players, but it’s hard to tell just how much better those players will make the Lakers in 2022-23.
Golden State Warriors breakdown
As long as the Golden State Warriors have their core players — Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green — and those players compete in more games than they miss, the Warriors will contend in the Pacific Division.
When you add depth players like Jordan Poole, who could be starters and keep young players like Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and James Wiseman in the mix, things look even better for the Warriors.
The two big worries about this club are health and age. At some point both of those things are going to catch up to the Warriors.
Our pick
I’ve seen it bandied about that the Los Angeles Lakers will be a more motivated team than the Golden State Warriors in the opening game of the 2022-23 NBA Western Conference season. I don’t buy that. The Lakers are playing for pride. The Warriors are playing for legacy and there is no way the Warriors want to get the championship rings and then lose to a team that didn’t crack .500 last season. The best bet in this game is the Golden State Warriors to beat the Los Angeles Lakers on opening night.
Pick: Golden State Warriors to beat the Los Angeles Lakers on opening night of the 2022-23 NBA Season.
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