Thunder at Lakers: What Bettors Need to Know
By Covers.com
Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Lakers (+5, 214)
The Los Angeles Lakers try to avoid their first six-game losing streak in almost six years when they host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday. Los Angeles has not lost six straight it dropped seven in a row from March 2-15, 2007. After ending December with their sixth win in seven games, the Lakers have yet to post a victory this month. They dropped a 108-105 decision to the Spurs in San Antonio on Wednesday for their fifth straight defeat.
Oklahoma City enters a half-game behind the Los Angeles Clippers for the league's best record. It posted its third win in four games Wednesday as it defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 106-84. The Thunder are beginning a string of three straight games on the road, where they are a pedestrian 9-5 as opposed to their 18-3 mark at home.
ABOUT THE THUNDER (27-8, 21-13-1 ATS): Russell Westbrook is looking to extend his consecutive games streak to 348, the longest active games played streak. Kevin Durant ranks third in the league in scoring with an average of 28.1 points. Oklahoma City is 6-0 when Durant scores at least 35 points. The Thunder are the NBA's top 3-point shooting team through 35 games as they have made 267 of 668 attempts. Westbrook and Durant form the highest-scoring pair of teammates in the league. The duo currently is averaging 49.9 points.
ABOUT THE LAKERS (15-20, 14-20-1 ATS): Los Angeles could get a little healthier Friday. Dwight Howard (shoulder) and Jordan Hill (hip) remain sidelined, but Pau Gasol has yet to be ruled out. Gasol already has missed two games with a concussion. Kobe Bryant still leads the league with an average of 30.1 points. But by his standards, he's in a bit of a scoring slump. After scoring at least 30 points in 12 of 13 games, the superstar has failed to reach the mark in each of his last three contests as he has tallied 29, 20 and 27 points. With 10,653 field goals made, Bryant is seven away from passing Alex English for eighth place on the all-time list.
TRENDS:
* Over is 4-0 in the last four meetings.
* Over is 4-1 in the last five meetings in Los Angeles.
* Thunder are 3-1-1 ATS in the last five meetings in Los Angeles.
* Road team is 3-1-1 ATS in the last five meetings.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. The Thunder drew first blood in the four-game season series, posting a 114-108 victory at home on Dec. 7.
2. Los Angeles has posted its worst 35-game start since also beginning the 2002-03 season with a 15-20 record.
3. Oklahoma City is 14-0 when five or more players score in double figures.
Friday's NBA Tips
By Kevin Rogers
VegasInsider.com
Seven games on the Friday NBA card involve a revenge angle, as each of the seven teams looking to avenge an early loss play at home. We'll take a look at three of those contests, but the night starts in Atlanta with the struggling Hawks attempting to get back on a winning track against the Jazz.
Jazz at Hawks
Two teams going in opposite directions meet at Philips Arena in the Marvin Williams bowl. The former second overall pick by the Hawks was set to make his triumphant return to Atlanta after getting traded to Utah for Devin Harris, but Williams is likely going to miss the game tending to personal matters. The Hawks (20-14 SU, 13-20-1 ATS) have plenty of matters of their own, dropping four straight games, including consecutive losses at Minnesota and Cleveland.
The last time Atlanta and Utah met up, the Hawks outlasted the Jazz in four overtimes last March, 133-125 to cash as one-point home favorites. The most impressive part of that victory for Larry Drew's team is the fact that the Hawks played their third game in three nights, while Atlanta did squander a 17-point lead in the second half. Atlanta has won four of the last five home meetings with Utah, but the Hawks are just 2-3 SU/ATS this season against Western Conference foes at Philips Arena.
The Jazz (19-18 SU, 18-18-1 ATS) began their three-game East Coast swing with a 10-point triumph at Charlotte on Wednesday as 4½-point 'chalk,' 112-102. Since losing three straight, Tyrone Corbin's club has won four of their past five contests, while limiting three of those opponents to less than 94 points. Utah burned bettors as a road underdog through the first month with an 0-6-1 ATS record, but the Jazz has rebounded by putting together a 4-4 ATS mark in the last eight away games when receiving points.
Spurs at Grizzlies
San Antonio has a long memory as the Spurs remember when the Grizzlies knocked them out in the opening round of the 2011 playoffs. Gregg Popovich's team took all four meetings last season, while rallying from a 15-point deficit in a 99-95 overtime home triumph on December 1. The Grizzlies managed a cover as six-point 'dogs, but Memphis needs to get over the hump against San Antonio to prove it belongs in the elite of the Western Conference.
Memphis returns to FedEx Forum fresh off a perfect 3-0 SU/ATS road trip, capped off by a solid victory at Golden State on Wednesday. The Grizzlies (23-10 SU, 20-12-1 ATS) have held seven straight opponents to 90 points or less, while cashing the 'under' six times in this stretch. Lionel Hollins' squad has compiled a profitable 10-6-1 ATS record at home, even though the Grizzlies have failed to break the 92-point mark in the last four contests.
The Spurs (28-10 SU, 22-15-1 ATS) are riding a nice 'under' stretch by hitting in six of the last seven, including Wednesday's victory over the Lakers. To be fair, three of those 'unders' came on totals above 200, which won't be the case on Friday night. San Antonio is struggling to cover numbers on the highway, cashing just two of the previous eight games away from the AT&T Center, including the last two in the 'dog role.
Bulls at Knicks
New York returns to Madison Square Garden with no rest after last night's game at Indiana without Carmelo Anthony. The leading scorer of the Knicks is back in the lineup after getting suspended one game by the league after his role in an altercation with Kevin Garnett following Monday's loss to Boston. The Knicks (23-11 SU, 17-16-1 ATS) have dropped each meeting with the Bulls this season, including a hotly-contested defeat last month in Manhattan.
Anthony, Tyson Chandler, and head coach Mike Woodson were among those ejected in New York's 110-106 defeat to Chicago as 6 ½-point favorites on December 21. The Knicks trailed by 22 heading into the final quarter before putting together a season-high 45 points in the fourth. New York's rally fell short as Chicago drilled 28 free throws in the win. That victory by the Bulls was in stark contrast to the December 8 triumph at the United Center in which Chicago held off New York, 93-85 as 2 ½-point 'dogs.
The Bulls (19-14 SU, 12-21 ATS) have drilled the 'over' in three of the last four games, but had a three-game winning streak halted in Wednesday's setback to the Bucks. Chicago was held to 39 points in the second half, as Tom Thibodeau's team blew a 15+ point lead to Milwaukee at home for the second time this season. In their last nine road contests, the Bulls have cashed tickets six times, including a 4-2 ATS mark as an underdog.
Thunder at Lakers
The Purple and Gold stumbles back to Southern California nursing a five-game losing skid after getting swept in Texas by the Rockets and Spurs. Luckily for Lakers' backers, Los Angeles managed a cover as 13 ½-point 'dogs at San Antonio on Wednesday in a 108-105 setback. However, the Lakers have allowed at least 100 points in all five defeats during this cold streak, while looking for some miracle to get back into the playoff race.
Let's not discount the defending Western Conference champions, as the Thunder (27-8 SU and 21-13-1 ATS) bounced back from an embarrassing defeat at Washington earlier in the week to take care of the Wolves by 22. Oklahoma City sits 19 games above .500, but has lost three of its last five games away from Chesapeake Energy Arena. The last time the Thunder faced the Lakers, OKC escaped with a 114-108 victory in early December, as L.A. cashed as 7½-point 'dogs.
The Lakers (15-20 SU, 14-20-1 ATS) have been terrible in plenty of areas this season, but the most glaring number is the 0-8 ATS as an underdog of less than six points. Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol are expected to be out for the third straight game for the Lakers, as L.A. has allowed at least 100 points in six of the last eight home contests.
NBA Point Spreads and Betting Guide
By: The Linemakers
Sportingnews.com
After a two-week stretch in December that saw the Lakers win six out of seven games, Los Angeles has dropped its last five games. Things won't get any easier tonight when the Lakers play host to the Thunder (10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). The Thunder took the first meeting of the season, 114-108, on Dec. 7 in Oklahoma City, but the Lakers covered as 7.5-point dogs.
Whether it's the injuries that have plagued the Lakers or the sub-par defense they've played, tonight's game doesn't bode well for Los Angeles. The Lakers have allowed 111 points per game in their last five outings. It won't be easy for the Lakers to turn it around against the NBA's second-best scoring offense.
Elsewhere around the league, the Spurs find themselves underdogs at the Grizzlies despite a 28-10 overall record. San Antonio has had trouble covering on the road this season and beat Memphis by only four at home earlier this year.
The Knicks get Carmelo Anthony back after his one-game suspension. New York is -4 with a total of 191 at home vs. the Bulls.
NBA Trends:
* The Bobcats have covered only five of their last 12 games. The Raptors have covered nine of their last 12 home games. The Bobcats have covered their last eight games played in Toronto. The Raptors are -8 with a total of 196.
* The Rockets have covered 11 of their past 13 games. The Celtics have not covered the spread in their last eight games against Western Conference teams. The Celtics are -2.5 with a total of 202.
* The Nets have covered only six of their past 20 games. They have also gone OVER the total in their last four games, as well as the past four meetings with the Suns. The Nets are -7 with a total of 193.5.
* The Jazz have covered only four times in their last 15 road games, but something will have to give tonight because their opponent isn’t so hot at home. The Hawks have only covered five times in their last 19 home games. The Hawks are -4.5 with a total of 192.5.
* The Bulls have a losing record against the spread this season (12-21 ATS), but have a few things going for them tonight. They have covered 13 of their last 16 games on Fridays. They also have covered eight of their last 11 road games against teams with a winning home record. The Knicks have covered eight of their last 11 home games against teams with a winning road record. The Knicks are -4 with a total of 191.
* The Spurs have covered only two of their last eight road games. The Grizzlies are on an ATS run of covering four of their past five games. The Spurs have covered in four of their past five meetings with the Grizzlies and four of the games also stayed UNDER the total. The Grizzlies are -1.5 with a total of 189.
* The Hornets have covered only four of their last 14 home games. The T’Wolves have gone UNDER the total in their last five road games. The Hornets are -2.5 with a total 182.5.
* The Pistons have covered their last four games on Fridays. The Bucks have covered 10 of their last 12 against Eastern Conference teams. The Bucks are -5.5 with a total of 196.5.
* The Cavs have covered four of their past five road games. The Nuggets have covered 14 of their last 16 games against Central Division teams. The Nuggets are -11 with a total of 206.5.
* The Thunder has covered six of its last eight road games against teams with a winning home record. The Lakers have covered only two of their last seven home games. The Lakers and Thunder have gone OVER the total in their last four meetings. The Thunder is a 6-point road favorite with a total of 217.
* The Blazers have covered their last seven games against teams with a winning record. The Warriors have covered nine of their last 13 home games. The Warriors are -7.5 with a total of 199.
NBA Injuries:
* Raptors forward Andrea Bargnani (elbow) is OUT indefinitely.
* Nets guard Joe Johnson (flu) is questionable tonight.
* T’Wolves center Kevin Love (hand) is OUT indefinitely.
* T’Wolves guard J.J. Barea (back) is doubtful tonight.
* Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich is questionable tonight.
* Knicks guard Raymond Felton (finger) is OUT indefinitely.
* Cavs forward Anderson Varejao (knee) is OUT indefinitely.
* Lakers forward Pau Gasol (concussion) is questionable tonight.
* Lakers center Dwight Howard (shoulder) is OUT indefinitely.
* Lakers forward Jordan Hill (hip) is OUT indefinitely.