The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Los Angeles Lakers do battle at the Crypto.com Arena on Monday night. Here’s a Lakers vs Thunder Prediction. This article will include a Lakers vs Thunder Pick.
Oklahoma City Thunder Betting Preview
The Oklahoma City Thunder have been in a rut as they’ve lost five of their last eight games overall. They will be hoping to avoid a season-high third straight loss after falling short to the Rockets in a 112-106 loss on Saturday. Cason Wallace led the team with 23 points on 10 of 16 shooting, Isaiah Joe added 21 points off the bench while Chet Holmgren and Aaron Wiggins each scored 17 points. As a team, the Thunder shot 45 percent from the field and 14 of 36 from the 3-point line as they played great defense in the first half to jump out to a 15-point lead. However, they allowed the Rockets back into the contest and just couldn’t regain the lead after the Rockets went on a pivotal 7-0 run late in the fourth quarter.
Los Angeles Lakers Betting Preview
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers have been heating up as they’ve won eight of their last 11 games overall. They will be eager to build on their current three-game win streak after sneaking past the Warriors in a 105-99 home win on Saturday. LeBron James led the team with 20 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists, Rui Hachimura added 18 points on seven of 10 shooting while Austin Reaves tallied 16 points with eight assists off the bench. As a team, the Lakers shot 51 percent from the field and 11 of 27 from the 3-point line, but they got off to a slow start and scored just 41 points in the first half. Before they finally hit a groove and went on a decisive 11-0 run in the fourth quarter to secure the gritty win in front of their fans.
Why the Los Angeles Lakers will win
- The Lakers have won seven of their last eight games against the Thunder following a home win.
- The Thunder have lost each of their last six Monday games at Crypto.com Arena.
- The Thunder have failed to cover the spread in each of their last six Monday games against Western Conference opponents that held a winning record.
- The Lakers have covered the spread in four of their last five games.
Why the Oklahoma City Thunder will win
- The Thunder have won each of their last 12 road games following a loss.
- The Lakers have lost each of their last eight games as underdogs.
- The favorites have covered the spread in each of the Lakers’ last 12 games.
- The Lakers have failed to cover the spread in each of their last eight games as underdogs.
Total Points Facts
- Each of the Lakers’ last four home games against the Thunder have gone UNDER the total points line.
- Each of the Thunder’s last four games as road favorites against the Lakers have gone UNDER the total points line.
Los Angeles Lakers Player Facts
- Luke Kennard ranks 1st amongst qualified players for 3P% (49.7%) this season.
- Deandre Ayton is the only player to have made 10+ field goals without a miss in a game this season.
Oklahoma City Thunder Player Facts
- Cason Wallace ranks 1st amongst qualified players for steals per game (2.1) this season.
- Chet Holmgren is one of only two players to have made 9+ field goals without a miss in a game this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Lakers rank 1st in the league for opponent blocks per game this season (3.5).
- The Lakers rank 1st in the league for field goal percentage this season (49.9%).
- The Thunder rank 1st in the league for opponent points per game this season (107.9).
- The Thunder rank 1st in the league for point differential per game this season (+12.0).
Lakers vs Thunder Prediction
The Thunder are still playing without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and they are keeping an eye on Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell. Meanwhile, the Lakers are sweating on the availability of Luka Doncic and Deandre Ayton, who are both listed as day to day. The Thunder have been dealing with a long list of injuries all season, but they didn’t really slow down until Gilgeous-Alexander went down. This opens the door for the improving Lakers to snag a win against a vulnerable Thunder team. The Thunder still open as road favorites in this one which is expected, but I am going with the Lakers to pull off the minor upset at home in this spot.