The 2025/26 NBA Season is hours from tipping off and I couldn’t be more excited. We’ve got two great games on the schedule so let’s jump right into the late one; Warriors/Lakers live from Crypto Arena in Hollywood.
For additional information on picks, props, money lines and more on today’s slate, take a look at our NBA Picks Page or our NBA Odds Page, here.
Warriors vs. Lakers | Information
Matchup Information
- Location: Crypto.com Arena; Los Angeles, California
- Date: Tuesday, October 21st, 2025
- Tipoff: 10:10 PM EST
Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Lakers | Previous Matchups
- Warriors (123) @ Lakers (119)
- Warriors (112) @ Lakers (120)
- Lakers (118) @ Warriors (108)
- Lakers (115) @ Warriors (113)
Injury Report
Golden State Warriors
- Jimmy Butler – GTD
- Jonathan Kuminga – GTD
- De’Anthony Melton – Out
- Moses Moody – Out
- Alex Toohey – Out
Los Angeles Lakers
- Lebron James – Out
- Maxi Kleber – Out
Betting Odds
Odds via BetOnline, an industry leader in the sports betting world.
Warriors vs. Lakers | Analysis
Hollywood Dončić
As much as I hate it, Luka Dončić is a Laker. He’s Hollywood’s biggest attraction and he just got the contract match. Last year after joining the Lakers, Luka averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game. The Lakers went 18-10 with Luka in the lineup, averaged just under 117 points per game and finished third in the Western Conference.
Unfortunately for the Lakers, they ran into the Minnesota Timberwolves in Round 1. The Wolves handled the series in just five games, really putting on display some of the holes the Lakers had on their team. The lack of a center against both Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid didn’t help and the Lakers never had a response for Anthony Edwards.
Now with a full offseason to structure the roster, the Lakers have added a true Center in Deandre Ayton; brought in help on the wing with Marcus Smart and added shooting depth with Jake LaRavia. The team will be without Lebron for the first few games of the year but with Luka Dončić on your team, you’ve always got a chance to win the game.
Brand New Dubs
The Warriors will begin their season on the road this year, taking their talents to Hollywood; ready to take on Luka Dončić and the new-look Los Angeles Lakers. Golden State will be sporting a new starting lineup of their own, now featuring both Jimmy Butler and Al Horford. The Warriors finished with 48 wins last year, seventh in the Western Conference and were eliminated in the second round of last year’s playoffs.
The Warriors were 25-26 before trading for Jimmy Butler last year, struggling to stay above .500 and string together a couple of wins. Stephen Curry was averaging less than 25 points per game and the entire Warriors offense was struggling to put the ball in the net (111.7 PPG). Once the team traded for Butler, everything changed. They went 23-7 with Jimmy in the lineup, averaged 117.8 points per game and Curry averaged 27.2 points and 5.6 assists per game.
The team looked completely different with the addition of Jimmy and it’s why they made a push for the postseason. The Warriors upset the 2-seed Rockets, in seven games and moved onto the Timberwolves in Round 2. Unfortunately Curry went down with a hamstring issue and the Warriors offense went with him. The team averaged just 102.5 points per game without Steph in the lineup and lost the series in just five games.
Our Best Bets in the Warriors vs. Lakers, October 21st
Stephen Curry o5.5 (+110) | BetOnline
The Warriors look to start this year better than they did the last. Like I said above, prior to trading for Butler the team had won just 25 of their 51 games, their offense was ranked in the bottom-10 of the league and outside of Stephen Curry they had no offensive options. That all changed when they added Jimmy to the roster. The team’s scoring shot up almost seven points per game, their shooting percentages dramatically increased and it gave the Dubs a #2 option when they needed it.
With how much better the entire offense got, I’m loving this Steph Curry assist prop tonight. Curry averaged 5.9 assists per game last year and cleared this line in 58% of his games. On the road that number jumped to 6.4 assists per game and he’s over in 66% of their games. Against LA, Curry cleared this line in three of four games last year, averaging 6.3 assists per game.
Curry averaged 10.3 potential assists per game last year and now with guys like Jimmy Butler and Al Horford, more assist opportunities should open up.
Deandre Ayton o14.5 Points (-105) | BetOnline
The Lakers made a ton of changes in the offseason and one of the most talked about was the addition of Deandre Ayton. Ayton’s a 27-year old center that’s averaged 16/10 in his career and is now looking for little bit of a career reset. Ayton’s last two seasons were spent in Portland where he just continued to struggle, both to stay on the court and perform when available.
Last year Ayton played just 40 games for the Blazers, averaging just 14.4 points per game and 10.2 rebounds per game. The Blazers were log jammed at the center position and due to his availability Ayton never found his groove. Now he’s on his third team, under the bright lights of Hollywood and looking to turn it around.
The Warriors are lacking depth at the big man spot, 2nd year rookie Quinten Post would be their biggest body and his play time is questionable at best. Outside of Post, I’m expecting the Warriors to attack Ayton with the trio of Draymond Green, Al Horford and Trayce Jackson-Davis.
Ayton played the Dubs once last year, shot 5/12 and finished the game with 10 points. In two games against the Celtics, both with Al in the starting lineup; Ayton finished with 22 points each time. The Warriors don’t give up easy buckets, but with Luka running the point I’m expecting a few easy ones for the Lakers new big man.
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