NBA Betting Picks For Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Los Angeles Lakers

The match between Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Lakers will be one of the most exciting encounters of the season. The match is to be played on Wednesday, 6:30 p.m. ET tip-off at HP Field House in Lake Buena Vista.

Injury Concerns

The teams are up for this encounter with some major injury concerns. The teams would need to make use of their best combination to get over the line. Even though some star players of both the teams would miss this encounter, the good rotation bench strength of both the teams would play a vital role in this encounter. As the Lakers are concerned, SG Alex Caruso will miss this encounter, as he is still recovering from his back injury. Rajon Rondo, one of the significant PG, will also be missing this encounter for the Lakers as he is still suffering from a thumb injury. Avery Bradley may also miss this encounter due to some personal problems.

Similarly, the Thunder team is also facing some major injury worries. Star Terrance Ferguson is out and would take more time to recover from his leg injury. Mike Muscala would also be missed as he is having concussion issues.

Current Form

Oklahoma City Thunder:- The team has played exceptionally well by beating some of the best teams of the league. Some star players like Chris Paul are in their original form, which is the main reason the team is doing so well in these years' league. The major problem of the team is their low conversion rate. They are seventh in the points table as far as the turnover percentage is concerned. In 401 minutes of play, the team has an offensive rating of 127.1 and a defensive rating of 98.6, and the net rating ranges to +28.6. The primary injury worries have already affected the team's results, and the team needs to find a good bench to get over the line this time.

Los Angeles Lakers:- The Lakers have focused more on building chemistry this season. They have not much load management this season. One more aspect that the team has focused on is rest management for the star players. The team has also restricted their star players from playing the practice games. The team has done quite well in the last few matches. Anthony Davis is in perfect form and could manage 42 points in the last game against Jazz. The Lakers might face some difficulty in the back as they would be missing some of their big names due to injury concerns. The team would be looking to win this encounter to keep their hopes for the playoffs alive.

Betting Scenario

As of the betting, the scenario is concerned, the Betters have shown more interest in the Thunders. They are in the sixth position in the Western Conference, and with two more games left, they have a realistic chance to make it to the playoffs. The money line scenario suggests that a winning bet of $10 on the Thunders would return a profit of $20, whereas it would only return $4 in the Lakers case. Considering the previous form of the team, most of the sports enthusiasts might opt to bet for the Thunders. Another aspect to look at is the game progress, and the conversion rate of betting in these factors is concerned every $1.10 bet on the Thunder will result in a profit of $1 if the team loses by five or less.

Prediction

The match can go either way, as both the teams would look to make it to the playoffs. The match would mostly depend on the squad line up for the match. Although the injury concerns are more for thunders and might restrict them to some aspects of play, the form of some star players can make a difference in the gameplay of both the teams. The teams' strategy will also play a massive role in deciding the winner of this encounter. 

The match would be a high scoring encounter as both the teams lack defensive strength and would look to score more points from the first quarter itself. The style of play can also be a significant decisive factor for this match. The team needs to play more offensive and should look to score more points from the first half. Keeping an eye on the betting scenario, the Thunders stand a better chance to win this encounter. But still, we have to wait until the final minute to reach the results.