Lakers vs Thunder Picks – Thunder Will Surprise On Friday
The Los Angeles Lakers are coming off a meeting with a ghost of the past and now they’ll face a ghost of the future. The Lakers handled the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night and now face a challenge against the up-and-coming Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night. Look for a different result, though as the upstart Thunder get the surprising win.
- What: NBA Betting
- When: Friday, March 26th – 8:00 PM ET
- Where: Ford Center – Oklahoma City, OK
- Key Stat: Thunder were 3-3 without James Harden in the lineup
The Storyline - Lakers vs Thunder picks
Online betting cappers know that the Lakers are the best in the West and while their record this year isn’t as good as it was last year, they are playing a stronger brand of defense. Ron Artest has added some toughness and the Lakers have been thriving recently because of it – even without Andrew Bynum in the lineup.
The Thunder have been an impressive team this season and while they were pressing the Denver Nuggets for the second seed in the West just as early as last week, they are now sixth because of a 3-3 spell. They are still a very young team but this is a team that has the pieces in place to be a Championship contender in years to come.
Offensive Matchups - Lakers vs Thunder picks
The Lakers have their main weapon in Kobe Bryant but there’s a lot of help around him. Bynum is out but Pau Gasol is an All-Star while Artest and the bench offer plenty of support. Lamar Odom has stepped up recently in place of Bynum and his skill set of scoring and passing are hard to match up with for a man his size. The Lakers are one of the best at filling the basket.
But the Thunder are similar. Kevin Durant is among the NBA’s leading scorers and has offered more points per game than Bryant throughout most of the year. Throw in Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook, and the Thunder have an excellent trio to work with. The return of James Harden has given the bench a big boost and that’s something the Thunder were lacking last week. This is a dangerous team.
Betting Edge: EvenDefensive Matchups - Lakers vs Thunder picks
As mentioned, the Lakers defense has picked up. Usually, the Lakers are an over play in the sportsbook but after suffocating the Spurs in a 92-83 win earlier this week, the betting public is seeing their defensive side. They’ll have a tough time containing the Thunder this Friday, though, as they are tough to stop at home.
The Thunder aren’t known as a defensive juggernaut but they have played better of late. 19-year-old Serge Ibaka has defended the rim well and given the Thunder a presence on the interior. Meanwhile, players like Jeff Green and Thabo Sefolosha are very good on the defensive end as well.
Betting Edge: EvenNotable Injuries - Lakers vs Thunder picks
The Lakers are without center Andrew Bynum, which does take some pep out of their step.
Betting Edge: ThunderBetting Prediction - Lakers vs Thunder picks
The Lakers have won seven straight games but the Thunder will end that nice stretch. They are a quality home team and they will use this game as a measuring stick for where they are in the West pecking order. While the Lakers might be a little fatigued in the middle of the road trip, the Thunder will be up for this one.
Pick: Thunder
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