The Los Angeles Lakers will take on the Oklahoma City Thunder at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday at the Paycom Center. The Lakers appear likely to be without the services of their two best players, LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Oklahoma City is still looking for its first win after starting the season with four straight losses.
Los Angeles is favored by 4.5-points in the latest Thunder vs. Lakers odds from Caesars Sportsbook, and the over-under is set at 214.5. Before entering any Lakers vs. Thunder picks, you'll want to see the NBA predictions from the advanced computer model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned almost $9,000 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks over the past three-plus seasons. The model finished up almost $600 on its top-rated picks last season and enters Week 2 of the 2021-22 NBA season on a stunning 103-68 roll on top-rated NBA picks against the spread. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Thunder vs. Lakers. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for Thunder vs. Lakers:
- Thunder vs. Lakers spread: Thunder +4.5
- Thunder vs. Lakers over-under: 214.5 points
What you need to know about the Thunder
The Thunder came up short against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday, falling 106-98. Oklahoma City's defeat came despite a quality game from shooting guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who had 30 points. Forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl was the next most effective player for OKC, who made 5-of-8 attempts from the field and pulled down five rebounds.
Luguentz Dort was the second-best player for the Thunder last season, but he's been off to a slow start to 2021. He managed to score 11 points against the Warriors, but only made four of his 13 attempts in the game. His best game of the season came on Sunday against Philadelphia, when he made 45-percent of his shots for 13 points.
What you need to know about the Lakers
Los Angeles ultimately got the result it was hoping for on Tuesday with a 125-121 win over the San Antonio Spurs. Among those leading the charge for Los Angeles was Davis, who posted a double-double with 35 points and 17 boards in addition to four blocks. However, he sustained a knee injury in the closing moments of the fourth quarter. Davis was able to finish the game, but the injury appears to have caught up with him on Wednesday.
James hurt his ankle in the Lakers game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday. Davis and James account for 44-percent of the Lakers offense so far this season, and without them in the lineup, a greater burden falls on Russell Westbrook, who has been the team's third-leading scorer this season. Still, Westbrook is off to one of the most inefficient starts to his career, and has made just two of the 15 3-point attempts that he's taken so far.
How to make Thunder vs. Lakers picks
The model has simulated Thunder vs. Lakers 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning under, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that has all the value. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
Who wins Thunder vs. Lakers? And which side of the spread is a must-back? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the computer model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.
