NBA Cup group play is back on the menu Friday night, and Oklahoma City arrives in Los Angeles looking to stop a two-game slide and get its season back on the familiar track. The Clippers, meanwhile, are trying to build on a rare bright spot in a 2-8 start.

The Thunder have alternated four-game winning streaks with two-game losing streaks through 12 games, and their latest setbacks came in back-to-back losses in Portland. Injuries have made this a very different Oklahoma City group, but the defending standard remains high.

These teams met on October 25, when Oklahoma City won 108-101 in a game that proved costly: Jalen Williams suffered a season-ending injury late, while Cason Wallace and Jaylin Williams also went down. The Thunder still have the better record and won their first NBA Cup game by 31; the Clippers opened group play with a 26-point defeat in Minnesota.

OKC is a 7.5-point favourite on the NBA odds, with the total set at 222.5.

Thunder vs. Clippers NBA Betting Odds

Oklahoma City ranks fourth in defensive rating, while Los Angeles sits 24th, and the Thunder are fifth in limiting turnovers compared with the Clippers’ 29th. The Clippers do have a major perimeter edge, shooting 38.1 per cent from three (fourth in the NBA) against Oklahoma City’s 34.6 per cent (18th). Still, the Thunder allow opponents to shoot just 33.7 per cent from deep.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Even with six key players unavailable or questionable, Oklahoma City has enough defensive identity to make life difficult for the Clippers. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is carrying the scoring load at 29.7 points and 4.5 assists per game, with Isaiah Hartenstein adding 10.1 rebounds. Ajay Mitchell, averaging 18.5 points, could return, while Thomas Sorber may make his NBA debut.

The Thunder also added 2025 first-round pick Nique Clifford in a trade with Sacramento, a useful depth swing for a team stretched thin. Chet Holmgren, Cason Wallace and both Jalen and Jaylin Williams remain significant names on the injury list, making any reinforcements especially valuable.

Los Angeles Clippers

Los Angeles has its own lengthy injury list, with Cam Christie, Yanic Konan Niederhauser, Brandon Ingram, Bradley Beal and Jordan Miller among those sidelined or working back.

Ingram was just ruled out for Friday, meaning his Clippers debut has been pushed back yet again. The Clippers are missing his veteran scoring. Ingram averaged 21.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists with Toronto last season; he has averaged 19.8 points across 572 career games.

Darius Garland leads the Clippers with 20.4 points and 6.9 assists, but his 24-point effort could not prevent a 127-101 loss to Minnesota in their NBA Cup opener. Los Angeles shot 40 per cent from three in that game, yet still managed only 101 points.

NBA Prediction: Who Will Win Thunder vs. Clippers?

The big picture here with the Thunder is that this remains an elite defensive team even while its rotation is being held together with tape. The Clippers can punish teams from three, yet their turnover issues are a poor match against a Thunder defence that should come out with aggressiveness and urgency.

I always like the Thunder in a spot against lesser competition when following a couple losses, especially when NBA Cup play is part of the equation. We saw what this Thunder team did on the road to a solid Grizzlies team in its first NBA Cup game, and this team knows how to wake up and respond like no other. Alex Caruso is my pick to click for a big game.

Best bet: Thunder -7.5 

THUNDER

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