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Just when it started to look like the Oklahoma City Thunder had figured out how to play with their Big Three, they slipped up with a pair of losses following a season-best six-game winning streak. It’s still a big improvement for a team that entered the season with high expectations after acquiring Carmelo Anthony and Paul George to play alongside reigning MVP Russell Westbrook. OKC looks to get back in the win column against a struggling Los Angeles Lakers club that returns home after dropping its last seven outings.
Don’t miss the hardwood action from Staples Center at 10:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 3, 2017. Catch every moment of the game live on ESPN. We’ll have NBA opening odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Wednesday schedule.
Odds Analysis
The Lakers enter this game having lost seven straight games and 10 of 11 while going 5-6 ATS in that span. They’ve also lost their last seven at Staples Center and are 2-5 ATS in those games, and will likely be without Lonzo Ball as he continues to recover from a shoulder injury. OKC had won six straight to surge up the Western Conference standings before dropping its last two. It’s the first time the Thunder have lost consecutive games since the end of November.
Injury Report
The Lakers are thin on talent to begin with and missing No. 1 draft pick Ball and Brook Lopez has taken its toll. Ball missed his fifth straight game and the Lakers have lost them all, falling to the Wolves on Monday for their seventh straight loss overall and their 10th in 11 games to slide into the Western Conference basement. Ball will have his injured shoulder re-evaluated this week and will likely miss the OKC game with the club opting for more recovery time.
Lopez is out for at least another week as he recovers from an ankle injury. The Lakers certainly miss both players, who regularly start and play plenty of minutes. Ball is the team leader in rebounds and assists per game while being one of seven players to average double-figures in scoring. Lopez had started every game averaging nearly 13 points per contest before being shelved with his injury.
Player to Watch
Fittingly Westbrook ended 2017 with a triple-double and his play over the last few weeks has sparked the Thunder to their first successful run of the season. OKC had won 12 of 15 games in December before consecutive losses to Milwaukee and Dallas, and Westbrook has been the catalyst in the run. He went for 38 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists against the Mavs, but missed on two three-point attempts late that would have forged a tie.
But the fact that George and Melo are deferring to Russ has given the team reason for optimism going forward. Westbrook has scored at least 30 points in four straight games and half of his 12 triple-doubles this season have come since Dec. 1. George and Anthony are getting their looks as they combine to average over 38 points per game and having some direction in the offense will make the Thunder a stronger team during the second half of the season.
Free NBA ATS Picks
Both teams are coming in riding losing streaks, but the Thunder have apparently figure out how to play with their new lineup. Westbrook has returned to his MVP form while Melo and PG are getting things done and OKC has played much better with 12 wins in 17 games last month. Meanwhile, it’s been a struggle for the Lakers with Lonzo and Lopez out of the lineup. They should have Kentavious Caldwell-Pope available after he was not allowed to travel on the recent road trip, which really screwed up Luke Walton’s rotations.
Lopez is out and Ball is questionable to play, leaving the Lakers thin once again. Coming off back-to-back losses, the Thunder feel this matchup against a struggling and shorthanded Lakers squad is one they should get and don’t expect the Big Three to let another get away.
NBA Odds: Thunder 107, Lakers 96
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