Henry Roldán
With just a month and a half to go before the 2022-23 regular round of the NBA comes to an end, the fight for the Play-in positions within the Western Conference is intense, and this Wednesday two of the teams involved in that battle will face each other in the Lakers vs Thunder game.
Los Angeles lost to the Grizzlies 109-121 on Tuesday night, while Oklahoma City also succumbed 123-117 to the Kings last night. Without further ado, JefeBet brings you the preview of the Los Angeles Lakers vs Oklahoma City Thunder.
Predictions, Odds, and Betting Preview for the Los Angeles Lakers vs Oklahoma City Thunder NBA Regular Season Game on March 1, 2023
- Where: Paycom Center – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
- When: Wednesday, March 1, 2023, 8:00 PM E.T.
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Betting on the Los Angeles Lakers
- Regular Season Record: 29-33.
The final stretch of the season for the Lakers will be much more complicated than expected, as they will be without star player LeBron James, who will miss two to three weeks due to an ankle injury. Since it is one game away from the Play-in spots, the Los Angeles team’s hopes depend on what Anthony Davis can do and how a practically new roster responds after the moves made by management in the trade market.
From now on, every game is important for the group led by coach Darvin Ham, but Wednesday’s game against the Thunder is much more relevant than the one against the Grizzlies because Oklahoma City is a direct rival for the postseason.
The first thing the Lakers need to do is start protecting the ball, as against Memphis they committed 26 turnovers that ended in 41 points against. In fact, they are the seventh team allowing the most points per game with 117.9.
For Los Angeles it is undoubtedly vital that their defense improves now that have to play without their best scorer. While the three-pointers have begun to appear with the arrival of the reinforcements, falling behind on the scoreboard will not be good for the gold and purple team.
Betting on the Oklahoma City Thunder
- Regular Season Record: 28-33.
The Lakers are not the only team fighting for Play-in spots without their top player. The Thunder team has already played several games without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the court, and his absence is expected to last at least one more week.
With an average of 31.0 points per game, the point guard is not only one of the best scorers of the championship, but also the only one of his team to average more than 20 points per game during the season. Those numbers evidence the importance of his absence on the board.
Against the Kings, the Thunder shot a low 43.9% from the field, which is one of the reasons why the team has suffered four losses in a row, as well as why it remains a game and a half behind the Pelicans for the last playoff spot.
However, the main problem for the team coached by Mark Daigneault is its defense. In each of its last four defeats, the opponent scored at least 120 points, which makes it the eleventh team with the highest amount of points conceded in the campaign with an average of 116.6 points per game.
JefeBet Prediction
Despite the fact that both teams are playing without their best scorers, Wednesday’s game should end with some points on the scoreboard considering the defensive performance of both teams.
The Lakers and the Thunder are among the quintets that receive the most points per game this year, and in six of their last ten head-to-head meetings, the game ended in Over. Moreover, 19 of Los Angeles’ 33 away games have gone Over, while 19 of Oklahoma City’s 31 home games have gone Over.
Prediction: Over.
