With the All-Star break bearing down on the NBA, the Oklahoma City Thunder visit the Los Angeles Lakers as they try to continue their regular-season dominance over a struggling franchise. The Lakers are closing in on rock bottom, especially at home, as they look to avoid their seventh straight home loss, which has not happened since the team moved to L.A. in 1960. With just an 8-15 mark at home, we have to back the visiting Thunder on the road tonight.
Oklahoma City has won two straight games and is 8-2 in their last 10 games played overall. The Thunder are one of the league’s top teams and should provide a thorough thumping to the Lakers on Thursday night. They will be difficult to handle since the Lakers have no semblance of a team right now and cannot do anything rigth at home. Kevin Durant has been nearly unstoppable in his last 21 games, averaging 35.2 points.
Los Angeles has dropped seven of nine regular-season games to the Thunder and are in the midst of a six-game losing streak at home. None of this bodes well for the Lakers as they host one of the league’s top teams on Thursday night. The Lakers are playing without five of their top six scorers right now. This includes Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Nick Young, Jodie Meeks and Xavier Henry. Jordan Farmar has missed 19 of the last 20 Lakers games too.
When the league’s top team takes on one of the league’s worst teams on Thursday night, the oddsmakers at Bovada.lv put the Thunder at 11-point favorites. Over the past couple of years it would be difficult to count out the Lakers, but this season is completely different. Lay down 15 percent of your bankroll on the Thunder and the spread on Thursday night.
