2024 NBA picks, January 15 predictions from proven model
We’ve got another exciting Western Conference matchup on the NBA schedule as the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Los Angeles Lakers are set to tip at 10:30 p.m. ET on Monday at Crypto.com Arena as part of the NBA on MLK Day action. Los Angeles is 19-21 overall and 13-7 at home, while OKC is 27-11 overall and 11-6 on the road. The teams have split their two head-to-head matchups this season both straight up and against the spread.
The Lakers won 129-120 as 3.5-point road underdogs on Dec. 23, while the Thunder captured a 133-110 win as 5-point favorites at home on Nov. 30. This time around, Los Angeles is favored by 1 point in the latest Lakers vs. Thunder odds and the over/under is 238 points. Before entering any Thunder vs. Lakers picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 12 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 112-62 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning well over $4,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Oklahoma City-Los Angeles. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for the game:
Lakers vs. Thunder spread: Lakers -1
Lakers vs. Thunder over/under: 238 points
Lakers vs. Thunder money line: Lakers -111, Thunder -108
Lakers vs. Thunder picks: See picks here
What you need to know about the Thunder
The Thunder extended their winning streak to four games against the Magic in their most recent tilt. Oklahoma City came out on top against Orlando by a score of 112-100 on Saturday. It was another big night for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 37 points to go along with seven assists and six rebounds.
However, Gilgeous-Alexander is listed as questionable for Monday’s matchup with a knee injury and his absence would certainly change the complexion significantly. One of the leading NBA MVP candidates, Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31.5 points, 6.4 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game this season.
What you need to know about the Lakers
Meanwhile, Los Angeles came up short against the Utah Jazz on Saturday and fell 132-125. D’Angelo Russell put forth a good effort for the losing side as he went 6 for 11 from beyond the arc en route to 39 points and eight assists. Those 39 points set a new season-high mark for him.
Anthony Davis also had a triple-double with 15 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists. With LeBron James (ankle) listed as questionable for Monday, Davis and Russell will have to carry another heavy load on Monday against the current No. 2 seed in the West. Los Angeles is currently the 11th seed and would miss the NBA play-in tournament if the postseason were to begin today.
Key Betting Info
Davis (ankle) has been upgraded to probable for Monday’s matchup while James and Gilgeous-Alexander are listed as questionable by their respective squads. For the season, Davis has averaged 25.1 points, 12.1 rebounds and 2.6 blocks and he’ll need to help pick up the slack for James’ lost production if he’s unable to participate.
Some of the betting trends to consider are:
The Thunder are 6-2-1 against the spread in their last 9 games as the road underdog.
The Thunder are 9-4-1 against the spread in their last 14 games when not the favorite.
The Lakers are 3-3 against the spread in their last 6 games when the spread was between -3 to +3.
How to make Lakers vs. Thunder picks
The model has simulated Lakers vs. Thunder 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Under and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.