The Los Angeles Lakers (4-22) will have a tough time bringing their six-game road losing streak to a halt when they take on the Oklahoma City Thunder (17-9), who have won seven in a row at home. Action begins at 5:00 pm ET on Saturday, Dec. 19 and can be seen on TWC and FxK.
The Thunder are hoping for a better outcome after their 104-100 loss to the Cavaliers on Thursday. Despite the loss, Russell Westbrook earned his 17th double-double this season with 27 points and 10 assists. The Lakers, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their awful 107-87 loss against the Rockets on Thursday. Kobe Bryant had a team-high 22 points.
The Thunder could have their way today, as their prolific offense faces off against one of the league’s worst defenses. They currently rank second in the NBA in offensive efficiency while Los Angeles ranks 30th in defensive efficiency.
This one isn’t expected to be close when the Thunder, a substantial 15-point favorite, take on the Lakers. The matchup has an estimated Over/Under (O/U) of 211 points. The Thunder come into this game 17-9 Straight Up (SU) and 11-15 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 11-2 SU and 7-6 ATS against the Western Conference. The Thunder have no trouble scoring as they rank second in the league in offense with 107.3 points per game. The Thunder are one of the best in the NBA in terms of free throw percentage, shooting an impressive .795 from the free throw line. The rebounding edge goes to the Thunder in this matchup, who are one of the top rebounding teams in the league with an average of 47.6 boards per game. As for the Oklahoma City defense, opponents have consistently had their shots rejected by the Thunder, who rank second in the league in blocks per game with 6.7.
In the other locker room, the Lakers have 4-22 SU and 9-17 ATS records. Against the Western Conference, Los Angeles is 0-13 SU and 1-12 ATS.
The conference foes meet for what will be their first head-to-head battle of the season. Oklahoma City won the last game in the matchup, bumping its SU record to 8-2 over the Lakers in their last 10 meetings. With a 6-4 record, the Thunder also have the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – OKC, ATS Winner – OKC, O/U – Under
Notes
Oklahoma City is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Oklahoma City’s last 12 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oklahoma City’s last 5 games at home.
Oklahoma City is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Oklahoma City is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Oklahoma City’s last 8 games when playing LA Lakers.
Oklahoma City is 7-1 SU in their last 8 games when playing LA Lakers.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Oklahoma City’s last 5 games when playing at home against LA Lakers.
Oklahoma City is 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against LA Lakers.
LA Lakers are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City.
Los Angeles ranks 24th in points per game with 97.3, while Oklahoma City ranks 14th in points allowed with an average of 100.4 given up.
Los Angeles ranks 25th in points per away game with 96.0 points, while Oklahoma City ranks ninth in points allowed at home with 97.5.
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Thunder are 11-2 on the season. When the Lakers score fewer than 100, they are an abysmal 1-16.
When giving up at least 100 points, the Oklahoma City Thunder have a 6-7 record. When registering triple digits, the Los Angeles Lakers have a poor record of 3-6.
Ranked second, the Thunder have an offensive rating of 108.1. The Lakers, on the other hand, rank 30th with a defensive rating of 109.0.
On average, Oklahoma City has 99.2 possessions per game and scores 1.081 points on each possession. Los Angeles has both fewer possessions (99.2) and scores fewer points during those possessions (.981).
Oklahoma City is ranked fourth in the NBA with an average effective field goal percentage of 51.5%. Los Angeles has not won a game this season when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage (0-14).
On average, the Oklahoma City Thunder make 21.0 assists per game and the Los Angeles Lakers make 18.6. Oklahoma City is ranked 17th, while Los Angeles is ranked 27th.
The Oklahoma City Thunder average 6.7 blocks per game for a rank of second. The Los Angeles Lakers rank lower (19th), earning 4.6 blocks each game.
The Oklahoma City Thunder rank second in offensive rebounding, while the Los Angeles Lakers rank 21st in defensive rebounding.
Los Angeles makes an average of 7.3 steals per game. Oklahoma City has a winning 14-7 record when it allows at least 7 steals.
