Lakers-Thunder prediction, odds, pick, how to watch - 11/30/2023
The Los Angeles Lakers will head to Oklahoma to face the Oklahoma City Thunder . We're here to share our NBA odds series , make a Lakers-Thunder prediction, and pick while showing you how to watch.
The Lakers defeated the Detroit Pistons 133-107 last night. Amazingly, they built a 16-point halftime lead and enlarged it by the time the game ended. D'Angelo Russell led the way with 35 points. Additionally, Anthony Davis added 28 points with 16 rebounds, while LeBron James had 25 points and eight rebounds. Christian Wood had 12 points and nine rebounds off the bench. Significantly, the Lakers shot 51.1 percent from the field, including 35.5 percent from the triples, while also connecting on 81.6 percent of their free throws. They also won the board battle 49-39 while blocking 10 shots and forcing 14 turnovers.
The Thunder lost 106-103 to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a nailbiter. At first, they built a 29-19 lead after the first quarter. They even led 61-53 at halftime. However, things quickly unraveled in the second half, and they officially fell behind with 5:30 left in the game. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did all he could, scoring 32 points while shooting 13 for 22. Meanwhile, Chet Holmgren added 16 points and eight rebounds but shot 6 for 20 from the field. Josh Giddey had 10 points. Also, Jalen Williams added 10 points while shooting 2 for 10. The Thunder shot 41.1 percent from the field, including 36.7 percent from the triples. Also, they shot 78.3 percent from the charity stripe. They lost the board battle 51-36, and the Wolves blocked nine of their shots. Moreover, they could not capitalize off of 19 Minnesota turnovers.
The Lakers won 2 of 3 last season. Furthermore, they have gone 7-3 in the last 1o games and 4-1 in the last five in Oklahoma City.
Here are the NBA odds , courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Lakers-Thunder Odds
Los Angeles Lakers: +5.5 (-110)
Oklahoma City Thunder: -5.5 (-110)
Over: 223 (-110)
Under: 223 (-110)
How to Watch Lakers vs. Thunder
Time: 8:10 PM ET/5:10 PM PT
TV: Spectrum Sportsnet and Bally Sports Southwest
Stream: fuboTV ( Click for free trial )
Why The Lakers Could Cover The Spread
The Lakers do well when they shoot the ball efficiently and hit their shots from the perimeter. Ultimately, it is their bread and butter. They will need more of that from their top options.
James is their leader, with 25.1 points per game. Moreover, he is shooting 55.8 percent from the field. But James struggles at consistently hitting the 3-point shot, hitting only 38.8 percent. Therefore, he will need to gauge the shots he takes. Davis is the next man in LA, averaging 22.2 points and 12.3 rebounds per game. Additionally, he is shooting 54.9 percent from the field. Russell is averaging 17.6 points and 6.4 assists per game. Meanwhile, Austin Reaves is averaging 13.5 points per game.
The Lakers are a great shooting team, ranking third in field-goal shooting percentage. Yet, they consistently struggle from beyond the arc, ranking 28th in 3-point shooting. The Lakers also continue to struggle at the charity stripe, ranking 22nd in free-throw shooting percentage. Additionally, the Lakers are mediocre on the boards, ranking 18th in rebounds. They also do not handle the ball well, ranking 24th in turnovers. Despite all that, they protect the rim well, ranking eighth in blocked shots.
The Lakers will cover the spread if they convert on their 3-point shooting attempts. Then, they need to stop Gilgeous-Alexander.
Why The Thunder Could Cover The Spread
The Thunder will look to take advantage of a tired Lakers team. Thus, they will need their stars to execute their opportunities and their role players to fill the holes during the integral parts of the game.
Gilgeous-Alexander is a gem, averaging 30.5 points per game. Overall, he is shooting 53.8 percent, including 35.7 percent from the triples. Holmgren is averaging 17.9 points per game. Furthermore, he is shooting 53.8 percent from the field, including 43.1 percent from beyond the arc. Williams averages 17 points per game. Remarkably, he is shooting 50 percent from the field. But his 3-point shooting could be better. Sadly, he has only hit 34.1 percent of his shots from beyond the arc. Giddey is averaging 12 points per game. Likewise, he is shooting 43.1 percent from the field. But his 3-point shooting is porous. Someone, he is only shooting 29 percent from beyond the arc.
The Thunder are efficient shooters, ranking second in field-goal shooting percentage. Amazingly, they are also the best 3-point shooting team in the association. The Thunder also rank second in free-throw shooting percentage. Also, the Thunder are good ball-handlers, ranking eighth in turnovers, and also protect the rim well, ranking eighth in blocked shots. But the Thunder need to do better on the boards, where they rank 26th.
The Thunder will cover the spread if they can execute their shooting attempts. Then, they need to force the Lakers into bad shots and win the board battle.
Final Lakers-Thunder Prediction & Pick
The Lakers blew out the Pistons last night, allowing their starters to rest. Still, playing back-t0-back, especially in a tough building against a solid team with a great star, is daunting.
Final Lakers-Thunder Prediction & Pick: Oklahoma City Thunder: -5.5 (-110)
