The main event of the NBA’s new play-in tournament comes Wednesday night when the Los Angeles Lakers host the Golden State Warriors. The winner will move on to the 2021 playoffs as the No. 7 seed, while the loser will be pushed to the brink of elimination.

The Western Conference bracket of the play-in tournament starts Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET as the Memphis Grizzlies host the San Antonio Spurs. The Warriors and Lakers are scheduled to meet at 10 p.m. ET.

Both games can be seen on ESPN.

The winner of Wednesday’s first matchup will visit the loser of the night’s second game Friday with the West’s No. 8 seed on the line.

Now that LeBron James and Anthony Davis are now back in the lineup, Los Angeles is a significant favorite at home. The point spread has moved from 4.5 points to 5.5 points within the last couple of days. Even though they haven’t clinched a postseason berth, the Lakers are still favored to reach the NBA Finals.

The odds are against Golden State, but they’ve got a chance to pull off the upset with the way Stephen Curry is playing. The sharpshooter is expected to be on many MVP ballots after winning the NBA scoring title and making 5.3 3-pointers per game.

At the very least, Curry is expected to put up big numbers at Staples Center. Curry’s over/under point total for Wednesday night is set at 36.5, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Curry is given +178 odds to score at least 40 points. Compare that to James, who is a long shot to put up 40-plus points with +1700 odds.

The point total for both James and Davis is 25.5 at FanDuel.

Finishing the season with 32.0 points per game, Curry carried the Warriors’ offense in the second half. The two-time MVP averaged 34.9 points after the All-Star break, reaching the 40-point mark in seven of his last 18 games. In eight games during May, Curry made at least seven three-pointers five times.

Since March 20, James has only played in four games. Since March 2, James has eclipsed the 25-point mark just once. The four-time NBA Finals MVP looked to be getting healthier in the regular-season finale.

Davis, 28, finished the season strong after missing half of the Lakers’ games with various ailments.

The Lakers bested the Warriors in their regular-season series 2-1, beating Golden State by more than 25 points in both victories.

LeBron James Anthony Davis Lakers
LeBron James #23 and Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrate during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Staples Center on February 12, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. Meg Oliphant/Getty Images
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