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The Oklahoma City Thunder (14-4) square off against the Los Angeles Lakers (11-7) in Emirates NBA Cup group play Friday. Tip-off from Crypto.com Arena is set for 10 p.m. ET (ESPN). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NBA odds around the Thunder vs. Lakers odds and make our expert NBA picks and predictions for the best bets.
Season series: First meeting; Lakers won 3-1 last season
OKC continued rolling with a 105-101 victory in Golden State Wednesday. The Thunder pushed as 4-point favorites with Warriors G Stephen Curry sitting out. Thunder G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander held it down with 35 points, 9 boards and 5 assists. C Isaiah Hartenstein has made his presence felt with double-doubles in his last 3 starts. He had 14 points and 14 boards Wednesday.
The Lakers snapped a 3-game slide with a 119-101 victory at San Antonio Wednesday. They had 7 players reach double figures, and F LeBron James had a triple-double with 16 points, 10 boards and 11 dimes. F Anthony Davis added 19 points, 14 boards and 7 assists.
Thunder at Lakers odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list of NBA odds. Lines last updated at 1:20 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Thunder -160 (bet $160 to win $100) | Lakers +135 (bet $100 to win $135)
- Against the spread: Thunder -3.5 (-105) | Lakers +3.5 (-115)
- Over/Under (O/U): 230.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Thunder at Lakers key injuries
Thunder
- G Alex Caruso (hip) out
- C Chet Holmgren (hip) out
- F Jaylin Williams (hamstring) out
Lakers
- F Anthony Davis (foot) probable
- C Jaxson Hayes (ankle) doubtful
- G Dalton Knecht (quadriceps) probable
- F Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) out
- C Christian Wood (knee) out
For most recent updates: Official NBA injury report.
Thunder at Lakers picks and predictions
Prediction
Lakers 119, Thunder 115
Moneyline
The Lakers take this NBA Cup very seriously. They were 7-0 in Cup play last season and 2-1 thus far. They got smoked 127-100 against the Phoenix Suns Tuesday. So rest assured, they’re going to take this one very seriously to avoid their fate being out of their own hands.
They get up for OKC anyway, winning 5 of the last 6 meetings. Take the LAKERS +135 here because I feel like OKC is too thin without Holmgren and Williams.
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Against the spread
I’m going to double up here and take the LAKERS +3.5 (-115). Not only have the Lakers won 5 of 6 against OKC, they’re also 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings. OKC got them twice in L.A., and both were by 3 points. This provides adequate insurance, and most other places are already down to +3.
Over/Under
The Over is 4-3 in the last 7 meetings between the teams. OKC is 5-5 O/U in its last 10, and the Lakers are 4-4 in their last 8. This is the smallest total in the last 5 matchups, and it’s just small enough to cash an OVER 230.5 (-110).
Again, this means something to L.A. I look for a faster-paced game.
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