by Rod Pearson
Sunday, Mar 03, 2024
Game Time: 10:30 pm ET, Monday, March 4, 2024
Venue: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
Where to Watch: NBA TV
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Thunder +1, Lakers -1; Over/Under: 240 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Thunder +1, Lakers -1; Over/Under: 240 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Thunder +1.5, Lakers -1.5; Over/Under: 239.5 points
Season Record
Oklahoma City Thunder: 41-18 (1st place, Northwest Division)
Los Angeles Lakers: 33-29 (5th place, Pacific Division)
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Recent Form
Oklahoma City Thunder: 7-3 last 10
Los Angeles Lakers: 6-4 last 10
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Los Angeles Lakers Preview and Analysis
The Thunder are entering this game with a 41-18 record overall and they are 17-12 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a loss against the San Antonio Spurs in their last game, but this is also the 2nd game of a back-to-back for them with their game against the Phoenix Suns still to be played on Sunday night. In their game against the Spurs, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the team in points in that game with 31 while Jalen Williams was next on the team with 26 points. Chet Holmgren led the team in assists in that game with 5 while Chet Holmgren led the team in rebounds with 7. They were 49.4% from the field, 29% from 3-point range, and 95.5% from the free throw line with their shots in that game. Their offense is averaging 121.2 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 113.3 PPG against them. The Thunder have an ATS record of 37-21-1 this season and their O/U record is 33-23-3.
The Lakers are entering this game with a 33-29 record overall and they are 21-10 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a loss against the Denver Nuggets in their last game. LeBron James led the team in points in that game with 26 while Rui Hachimura was next on the team with 23 points. Austin Reaves led the team in assists in that game with 14 while Anthony Davis led the team in rebounds with 11. They were 52.8% from the field, 41.4% from 3-point range, and 72.7% from the free throw line with their shots in that game. Their offense is averaging 117.1 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 117.7 PPG against them. The Lakers have an ATS record of 28-35 this season and their O/U record is 33-29-1.
Thunder vs Lakers Prediction
The current betting odds have the Thunder listed as a 1 point underdog in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Thunder have looked really good in their games this season with their 41-18 record overall which has them leading the West with one of the best records in the entire NBA. They have also been a good road team this year with their 17-12 road record. Meanwhile, the Lakers haven't looked great in their games this season with their 33-29 record overall which has them barely clinging onto a play-in spot for the playoffs in the West. They have looked a lot better on their home court this season with their 21-10 home record, but they lost a lot of their momentum with a loss at home to the Nuggets in their last one. The Lakers are 6-4 in their last 10 games but the Thunder have been the hotter team coming into this one with a 7-3 record in their last 10 games. The Thunder are also coming off a bad loss to the Spurs who are one of the worst teams in the NBA so they will be looking to bounce back in this game. They aren't in a great situation here since the Thunder are on a back-to-back, but they also have a really young team that hasn't struggled in these situations. The Lakers have been good on their home court this year but the Thunder have the best record in the West right now for a reason and they will be too much to handle for the Lakers here. The best way to place a bet here is on the Thunder to cover the spread in this game.
Thunder Lakers Prediction: Our NBA Pick for Monday, March 4, 2024 (10:30 pm ET start time) is Thunder 121 Lakers 116.
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NBA Betting Trends
Oklahoma City Thunder: 37-21 ATS in all games. 9-2 ATS revenging a road loss vs opponent. 6-2 ATS as a road underdog. 33-24 OVER in all games. 10-3 OVER against Pacific division opponents. 8-3 OVER revenging a road loss vs opponent.
Los Angeles Lakers: 28-34 ATS in all games. 3-6 ATS after 4 straight games where they made 50% of their shots or better. 33-22 OVER after failing to cover the spread in 2 or more consecutive games. 13-5 OVER after 2 or more consecutive overs.
Key Injuries
Oklahoma City Thunder: J. Williams (PF) Out Sun - Knee.
Los Angeles Lakers: G. Vincent (SG) Mid March - Knee. J. Vanderbilt (SF) Mid March - Foot. C. Castleton (C) Out indefinitely - Wrist. C. Wood (PF) Mid March - Knee.
Notable Quotes
“It’s just another reminder that this is the NBA. No team is in the NBA for no reason. No player is in the NBA for no reason. Any team can beat another on any given night regardless of record or anything. They came out confident. Part of that was them, part of that was us. We should be better the next one.” - Chet Holmgren after their loss against the Spurs in their game on Thursday.
“We had to get some stops, and we had to execute offensively. Not turn the ball over. It’s a tough league, and after last night’s victory, we had to come in against a young, scrappy team that’s not playing for much, just playing hard, a lot of speed, a lot of youth, and obviously it took us 53 minutes to get the job done.” - LeBron James after their win against the Wizards in their game on Thursday.
Starting Lineups
Oklahoma City Thunder
PG Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
SG Josh Giddey
SF Luguentz Dort
PF Jalen Williams
C Chet Holmgren
Los Angeles Lakers
PG D'Angelo Russell
SG Austin Reaves
SF LeBron James
PF Rui Hachimura
C Anthony Davis
Statistical Leaders
Oklahoma City Thunder
PPG: S. Gilgeous-Alexander (31.2)
APG: S. Gilgeous-Alexander (6.5)
Reb/G: C. Holmgren (7.7)
Los Angeles Lakers
PPG: L. James (25.3)
APG: L. James (7.9)
Reb/G: A. Davis (12.3)
Coaches:
Oklahoma City Thunder: Mark Daigneault (4th season)
Los Angeles Lakers: Darvin Ham (2nd season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
