Although the NBA season is winding down, the action on the court is as intense as ever. That’s especially true with Thursday’s premier matchup featuring the Los Angeles Lakers (50-26) against the Oklahoma City Thunder (60-16).
The Lakers are currently the third seed in the Western Conference, holding a 1.5 game advantage over the Denver Nuggets. Los Angeles has won four consecutive games, defeating four Eastern Conference foes.
Oklahoma City is 18-2 since the NBA All-Star break. The Thunder’s losses came against the Eastern Conference’s top seeds, dropping games at Detroit and Boston over the past six weeks.
Despite their incredible run, the Thunder have only a two-game lead over the San Antonio Spurs for the top seed in the Western Conference. Can Oklahoma City earn the NBA’s best record and retain its front-runner status? We’ll cover that and provide bettors with our top three player props for this NBA contest.
Los Angeles Lakers’ Luka Doncic OVER 31.5 Points
This contest features the NBA’s top two scorers this season. Luka Doncic leads the way with his incredible 33.8 points per contest. The veteran guard is coming into this game hot, having surpassed the 40-point mark in his past three outings.
He’s also surpassed the 31.5-point mark in eight straight games, including a 60-point outburst against the Miami Heat two weeks ago. With his team’s postseason positioning at stake, expect him to finish with at least 32 points on Thursday.
Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander UNDER 31.5 Points
It’s not often that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander enters a contest behind an opponent in scoring averages, but that’s the case for the NBA’s second-leading scorer on Thursday. He’s averaging 31.6 points per game this year, almost a full point less than last year’s career year.
SGA’s previous outing was his best scoring output in March. The 6-foot-6 guard finished with 47 points against the Detroit Pistons, helping his team earn a 114-110 overtime victory over the Eastern Conference’s top seed.
Because Oklahoma City has so much talent, Gilgeous-Alexander can score below his average, and the Thunder will still win. Expect Thursday to be one such instance. Take him to finish below his 30.5-point prop line against the Lakers.
Oklahoma City Thunder’s Chet Holmgren OVER 23.5 Pts + Reb
With all of the star power between these two teams, bettors could be forgiven for overlooking Chet Holmgren. The 7-foot-1 center is averaging career-best figures, notching 17.0 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.
His numbers in March dipped slightly, dropping to just 16.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Still, he’s eclipsed a combined 25 total points and rebounds in three of his past five outings. Take him to cover this combination prop line on Thursday against the Lakers.
Best Bet: Los Angeles (+9.5)
It’s not a coincidence that oddsmakers have installed the Thunder as nine-point favorites. Oklahoma City earned a victory over Los Angeles by that margin in their last matchup, winning 119-110 in early February.
This Lakers squad is firing on all cylinders heading into their matchup against Oklahoma City. While the Thunder should still claim the victory on Thursday, don’t expect it to be by a wide margin. Take Los Angeles to keep this game close throughout, covering the spread for this NBA game.
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