The Los Angeles Lakers host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday, 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.
The Lakers are hoping to win their fourth game in a row, but even though reigning NBA MVP and scoring champion Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is out with an abdominal strain, they will still face a stiff challenge. The Thunder, who have the league’s best record at 40-13 despite some recent slippage, remain an outstanding defensive team, and, of course, they’re the defending world champions.
Los Angeles is in fifth place in the Western Conference with a 32-19 record, but it is tied with the fourth-place Houston Rockets and just one game behind the third-place Denver Nuggets.
The lines, courtesy of BetMGM
Lakers vs Thunder injury reports
Thunder: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (abdominal strain), Ajay Mitchell (hamstring strain), Thomas Sorber (right ACL surgical recovery) and Nikola Topic (surgical recovery) are out.
Lakers: Deandre Ayton (right knee soreness) is probable. Luka Doncic (left hamstring strain) and Adou Thiero (right MCL sprain) are out.
Advice and Prediction:
Just as they were last season, the Thunder are one of the best defensive teams in recent NBA memory. They lead everyone with a 105.9 defensive rating, which is even better than the 106.6 defensive rating they had last season, and they’re also first in opponents’ field-goal accuracy at 43.3% and points off turnovers per game at 23.0. That foundation remains in place for a team like this even when its franchise player is out of action.
But the Thunder are also an underrated offensive team. They’re second in points per game and fourth in offensive rating, and they have the deepest roster in all of basketball. While Gilgeous-Alexander won’t be playing on Monday, Jalen Williams, the budding wing who has missed their last 10 games due to a hamstring ailment, is expected to return.
Los Angeles will be seriously handicapped, as Luka Doncic will sit out due to a hamstring injury of his own. All these factors lead us to predict a loss for the Purple and Gold and a low-scoring game.
Prediction: Thunder 111, Lakers 103
Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Prediction and betting odds for Lakers vs. Thunder
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
