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Andrew Rogers
Lakers vs. Thunder Point Spread: NBA Odds, Prediction
While Oklahoma City finds itself in eighth place in the Western Conference with seven losses in its past nine games, the Lakers have won two straight and four of their previous five games, without King James.
NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Forget about the divergent paths these teams are on. That’s the message from oddsmakers, who have made the Thunder a double-digit favourite despite the fact they’re playing some of their worst basketball of the season. And bettors should note that Oklahoma City is just 5-13 ATS in its previous 18 games when favoured by 10 or more points, while the Lakers are 9-4 ATS in their past 13 when receiving double-digit points.
LeBron’s absence, combined with the Thunder’s recent offensive woes, should lead to plenty of under action on the total of 224.5. And past trends certainly support this approach: The Lakers have gone below the number in eight of their previous nine games against Western Conference opponents, and are 5-2 to the under in their past seven overall. The Thunder have converted the under in seven of their past 10 games at Chesapeake Energy Center.
Los Angeles Lakers
It could be a rough go for the Lakers in this one; not only is LeBron slated to miss the rest of the season with a groin injury, but forward Kyle Kuzma is considered questionable with an ankle injury that held him out of Sunday’s 130-102 rout of the New Orleans Hornets. If Kuzma sits out, player prop bettors should consider the over on Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s scoreline; he has averaged 22 points over his previous two games and should see plenty of shot attempts.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Not only have the Thunder slumped their way to a potential first-round playoff matchup with either the Denver Nuggets or Golden State Warriors, they’ve also disappointed bettors. Oklahoma City has been one of the worst cover options in the league for the better part of five weeks, having gone 5-16 ATS in its previous 21 games while failing to cover in 12 of its past 14 games against Western Conference opponents.
