The Los Angeles Lakers are desperately trying to stay afloat without LeBron James in a closely-packed Western Conference. The superstar forward is currently out due to a groin strain and it’s unknown if he will be back in time for Wednesday’s nationally televised matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Lakers and Thunder are a pair of teams that fancy themselves top contenders to the Warriors in the West and every game counts as teams jockey for playoff positioning. The Thunder is on the road in this matchup but has to be looking at it as a chance to steal a victory if James cannot play.
This is a fortunate turn of events for a Thunder team which is near the top of the Western Conference standings and aiming to compete for the title. The Lakers have been good at home this year and will hope to pull out a win in NBA gambling.
This NBA basketball game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Lakers will be held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California at 10:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 2nd, 2019. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN.
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Odds Analysis
The Thunder is currently hanging right with the Warriors and Nuggets for the best record in the East. OKC is 22-13 on the year. The Thunder has performed decently on the road with a 10-9 mark.
The Lakers have struggled without James and have dropped down a few spots in the tightly-packed standings. They are 21-16 this season. Los Angeles is 13-6 at home although most of that work has been done with James leading the way.
Injury Report
James hurt himself in a Christmas Day game against the Warriors in which the Lakers actually picked up an impressive road win. The team failed to build on it because he has been sitting out since. While the groin injury shouldn’t sideline him for too long, it has certainly affected the Lakers.
James is still one of the best players in the NBA, as he is averaging 27.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game. Keep a close eye on any reports before the game to see what James’ status will be in this one. If he plays, it is important to know if there will be any sort of minutes restriction because that would also have a significant effect on the spread.
Thunder forward Paul George is dealing with a quad injury but he seems likely to play in this one provided he doesn’t suffer any sort of setback beforehand.
Player To Watch
Russell Westbrook -- With James possibly out, the remaining superstar on the court will be Oklahoma City’s athletic dynamo. Westbrook is having another season for the record books, as he is averaging 21.0 points, 10.8 rebounds, 10.2 assists and 2.6 steals per game.
Westbrook is looking to average a triple-double again, which is a crazy accomplishment. His scoring may be down but Westbrook can certainly still fill it up when needed. He poured in 40 points against the Suns last week in 39 minutes of action.
Free NBA ATS Picks
No one player affects the spread of a game any more than James, so his status is key in this one. The Lakers could be cautious and keep him sidelined. If that happens, the Thunder is the pick to win this game.
George and Westbrook are playing well and should be too much for Los Angeles to handle. The Lakers don’t want to lose another home game but it could be tough sledding if their superstar is sidelined in NBA gambling.
NBA ATS Pick: Oklahoma City Thunder 118, Los Angeles Lakers 109
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