Lakers vs Thunder Odds, Picks, and Predictions Tonight: LeBron & Co. Shift Focus

The Lakers have cooled significantly in recent weeks, losing five in a row following a hot streak which saw them take home the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament. Now, they’ll attempt to do something which they’ve only done five times this season which is win on the road.

Can L.A. find its form as NBA odds underdogs against a red-hot Thunder team which will be missing Josh Giddey?

Let's get right into it with our in-depth preview and free NBA picks for Lakers vs. Thunder on Saturday, December 23.

Lakers vs Thunder odds

Lakers vs Thunder predictions

The Lakers’ defense has cooled significantly in recent weeks, leading to a tough stretch which has seen them lose five out of the last six. Over that span, their 119.2 defensive rating ranks 19th in the NBA, and nothing much has changed on the offensive end, where L.A. continues to struggle.

As L.A. tries desperately to repair its defense, which is has leaned on for the last few seasons to win games, Darvin Ham will opt to send D’Angelo Russell to the bench on Saturday in favor of forward Jarred Vanderbilt, who will help this team stop Oklahoma City in the frontcourt. LeBron James will likely shift over to point guard, which should give this team a great look against a Thunder team that ranks 12th in frequency of shots at the rim according to Cleaning the Glass and that has shot 65.6% in that area.

L.A.’s rim defense has ranked just outside the Top 10 this season, and should look even stronger here. On the flip side, however, the Thunder have been one of the most complete defenses in basketball and have been especially good in transition, where the Lakers love to play.

That’s going to turn this game into a defensive battle. The Lakers clearly have no intentions of sacrificing anything on the defensive end in an effort to score more, opting to leave Austin Reaves on the bench following Russell’s move to fellow reserve. We should see the Lakers somewhat return to form on defense here with Vanderbilt seeing more minutes, and with the Thunder’s affinity for sending the ball in deep I also don’t see OKC getting a ton done on the offensive end of the floor.

These teams do like to play with a lot of pace, ranking in the Top 10 in that regard, and we’ve touched on the Lakers’ love for transition above. Despite those facts, however, this isn’t a great matchup for either side on offense. With that, I think this number is far too inflated, and defense is one thing we’ve been able to rely on with both of these teams. I’m going to grab the Under here and would play it all the way down to 235 points.

My best bet: Under 239 (-110 at DraftKings)

Lakers vs Thunder same-game parlay

Under 239

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 2+ threes made

LeBron James 8+ assists

+800 at DraftKings

It’s the holiday season, and we have to pay for all those gifts we’ve purchased for our loved ones. I’m feeling a bit spicy here on Saturday and will swing big for a juicy same-game parlay here despite the fact that I don’t foresee a ton of offense coming for both teams in what should be a game dictated by defense.

The first step after the Under will be backing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander here without Giddey on the floor for the Thunder. Sure, things may not be very easy against James, assuming he runs the point, but the Lakers have been incredibly generous beyond the arc ranking 20th in 3-point defense according to Cleaning the Glass. We’ve seen Gilgeous-Alexander see a 7.39% bump in Usage Rate without Giddey on the floor this season, and despite poor shooting from outside we’ve also seen OKC’s lead man continue to force the issue from deep.

Gilgeous-Alexander took six 3-pointers last time out in a win over the Clippers, and he’s averaging four shots from deep over the last four games. He should find plenty of open looks against a Lakers team which has given up plenty of them all season long, and I’m targeting this game as the one where Gilgeous-Alexander finally sees multiple shots fall from three.

Then, I’ll go ahead and back James to record eight or more assists for a seventh straight game. He’s expected to be the one playing point guard here for the Lakers, and I think that’ll help him see an even greater boost in helpers here. Even if this game does hit the Under, the total is still incredibly high given the projected up-tempo nature of this game and as a result we can still see plenty of offense from both teams even in a game dominated by defense.

Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

Lakers vs Thunder spread and Over/Under analysis

The Lakers have to be live dogs to win this game. Yes, they’re just 5-11 on the road and have been playing incredibly poorly on both ends of the floor, but by shoring up their interior defense with Vanderbilt stepping in for Russell, the path to victory is very much there.

Keep in mind, too, that the Thunder have shot poorly from 3-point range at home this season, knocking 36.3% percent of looks from deep compared to 41.6% on the road. That should provide some aid to a Lakers team that has been dreadful at defending the 3-point shot this season.

This is exactly the type of opponent the Lakers like to play. There will be plenty of transition possessions, which is where L.A. has made its money this season, and it has an opportunity to dominate inside against a weaker Thunder frontcourt.

The splits here are rather interesting, with all of this said. Just 29% of the bets and 30% of the money wagered on the spread over at DraftKings are on the Lakers, and while 63% of the bets are on the Over here, 88% of the cash is heading that way as well. The sharp play surely seems to be the Over, but I do think with some repairs made on the defensive end we should see L.A.’s defense see some positive regression to the mean.

Lakers vs Thunder betting trend to know

The Lakers have hit the moneyline in 55 of their last 96 games (+14.90 Units / 9% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Lakers vs. Thunder.

Lakers vs Thunder game info

Lakers vs Thunder latest injuries

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