Thunder vs. Lakers Prediction: NBA Odds, Point Spread
-
Jeremy Perry
The Los Angeles Lakers had a brief blip on the radar a couple of weeks ago when they lost two in a row. Since then, they’ve reeled off four straight wins to improve to 18-6 on the season and pull one game within the Utah Jazz for first place in the Western Conference.
On Monday, the Lakers will host the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are tied for the third-worst record in the West. The Thunder have won two of three, though, and have a little momentum going into Monday’s contest. While they’re up against a big dog, can they at least cover the spread here?
NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis
The Thunder are a different team at home versus on the road as they are a healthy 7-4 in away games compared to just 3-8 at home. They’ve won two straight road games and five of their last eight.
The Lakers are laying a big number here but they aren’t a reliable bet as a favourite. While they’re 17-6 outright when posted as the chalk, they are just 11-12 against the spread in those games. They’re only 3-5 ATS in the last eight meetings between the teams.
Oklahoma City Thunder
It’s hard to believe the Thunder were once 5-4 this season. They started the year looking like they were carrying over the momentum from last season – even though there was a different cast and a different coaching staff. However, the wheels have mostly fallen off since then. The Thunder are 5-8 in their last 13 contests and they just don’t look very good right now. They’re coming off a 120-118 win over the six-win Minnesota Timberwolves but what’s wild is they barely won the game after putting up an 83-point half.
The main issue for the Thunder is two-fold: they don’t have a lot of star power and they can’t effectively rebound. With the first, we know that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a stud but a starting lineup with guys like Lu Dort, Darius Bazley, Theo Maledon and Kenrich Williams just isn’t going to cut it. In terms of rebounding, they’re second-worst in the NBA as they get worked on the glass nightly. That could be an issue on Monday.
Los Angeles Lakers
The main key to betting the Lakers on Monday will be to make sure that they’re not going to be resting either of their two big superstars. The Lakers last played on Saturday when they needed double-overtime to get by the lowly Detroit Pistons, so maybe with the extra frames played, they decide to rest starters.
The Lakers have not been a good bet against the spread of late as a lot of their wins have been close contests. They have failed to cover five of their last seven. They were a 16-point home favourite against Detroit and nearly lost. Keep that in mind before you lay the big spread here.
OKC
LAL