Lakers News: Betting Odds For A Must-Win Thunder Battle
The Oklahoma City Thunder are coming to town tonight, in a game that could set your Los Angeles Lakers back an inordinate amount if it doesn't tilt their way.
That's because the 11th-seeded Thunder and the ninth-seeded Lakers share a 36-37 record, so one of them seems set to take a tumble down the Western Conference standings with a defeat.
Who will win? Which Lakers will pile on some key stats? Read on for our betting odds and lines, via The Action Network.
The Game Spread
LA is considered a 5.5-point favorite tonight at Crypto.com Arena. That's probably because the Thunder's lone All-Star, by far, is merely questionable to play due to an abdominal strain. The Lakers could be missing two of their three top scorers, as LeBron James is obviously out still, while D'Angelo Russell was recently downgraded to questionable with a sore right hip. Even with those absences, LA still has a very real shot to win if Anthony Davis suits up and SGA does not. I don't like that 5.5-point line, though. Take the Thunder to cover the spread.
Anthony Davis' Combined Points + Rebounds
AD is anticipated to total 41.5 in combined points and rebounds tonight. For the year, the 6'10" big man is averaging 25.9 points and 12.4 rebounds, which would total up as a bit less than tonight's line (38.3). But this Thunder front line is young and prone to mistakes. Davis has only been healthy for one of LA's two games against the Thunder, and he scored sparingly, notching just 13 points and eight rebounds. But I think his time for a big game has come, especially if Russell sits. Take the over.
Jarred Vanderbilt's Total Steals
The over/under line for the total recorded steals of LA's 6'9" power forward is 0.5. Given that he's averaging 1.4 swipes a night for Los Angeles thus far, I'd say the over is a safe bet here.
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