The Los Angeles Lakers visit the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal playoff series, and if you’re looking to do some last-minute betting research, you’re in luck! We’ll give you the latest point spread, money line odds and over/under number, as well as the information you’ll need to make the smartest bet.
After overcoming long odds to knock the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs, the Lakers now face a seemingly impossible task as they prepare to face the defending NBA champion Thunder in the second round. Virtually no one is giving the Lakers any chance at all of winning this series, especially with Luka Doncic still out due to a hamstring strain. But Los Angeles is hoping to take one of the first two games at Paycom Center and at least inconvenience Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and crew as they aim for back-to-back world titles.
The lines, courtesy of BetMGM
Lakers vs Thunder injury reports
Lakers: Luka Doncic (left hamstring strain) is out.
Thunder: Thomas Sorber (right ACL surgical recovery) and Jalen Williams (left hamstring strain) are out.
Advice and Prediction:
Winning this series against the Thunder feels like “Mission: Impossible” for the Lakers. If Doncic had been healthy at the start of this matchup, perhaps he could’ve played the role of Ethan Hunt and helped Los Angeles dethrone the team with a defense many feel is impenetrable.
With Doncic still sidelined, L.A. will need bigger-than-usual contributions on the offensive end from several men who aren’t named LeBron James. In particular, Deandre Ayton, Luke Kennard, Marcus Smart and Jaxson Hayes will need to produce more points than they did during most of the Rockets series. The team as a whole will need to limit its turnovers, especially its live-ball turnovers, something it didn’t exactly do versus Houston.
It’s also important to note that the Thunder are underrated offensively. They ranked seventh in offensive rating and fifth in points during the regular season, and many of their non-stars are good or great 3-point shooters. Job one defensively for the Lakers is obviously containing Gilgeous-Alexander, but they cannot let others, whether it is Isaiah Joe, Chet Holmgren, Luguentz Dort, newcomer Jared McCain or former Laker Alex Caruso go off. Joe, in particular, hurt the Lakers during the four regular-season matchups between these two teams, all of which Oklahoma City won.
Upsets and miracles do happen in sports. But unless the spirit of Harry Houdini or David Blaine is with the Lakers, they will, without question, lose this series, and Tuesday’s game could get ugly.
Prediction: Thunder 118, Lakers 105
Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Prediction and betting odds for Lakers vs. Thunder Game 1
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
