The Los Angeles Lakers (50-26) and Oklahoma City Thunder (60-16) will meet in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 9:30 p.m. ET from the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. The game will be broadcast live on Amazon Prime Video.
The Thunder are 8.5-point favorites over the Lakers on the spread (Thunder -9.5), with the over/under set at 232.5 total points. Oklahoma City is a -375 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while Los Angeles is +295 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Lakers vs. Thunder predictions and NBA picks for Thursday, April 2.
Lakers vs Thunder Prediction, Pick
- Lakers vs Thunder pick: Under 232.5 (-110)
My Thunder vs Lakers best bet is on the game to stay under 230.5 total points. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Lakers vs Thunder Odds
| Lakers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+8.5 -102 | 232.5 -108o / -112u | +295 |
| Thunder Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-8.5 -118 | 232.5 -108o / -112u | -375 |
Lakers vs Thunder NBA Preview
Few teams are hotter than the Los Angeles Lakers right now, and now they'll take on the best team in basketball after going 15-2 in March.
Los Angeles had a borderline top-five offense last month and produced 120.6 points per contest. Luka Doncic's outrageous run is the main reason the team has looked so unstoppable.
Doncic averaged a ridiculous 37.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 2.4 steals per game in March while shooting 49.2% from the field and 39.2% from long range.
The league's leading scorer isn't letting up as the regular season nears its end. However, Oklahoma City held him to 19 points in November and is one of the few teams that can give him a hard time.
The Thunder are riding a three-game winning streak and are approaching full strength now that they're healthy again.
Jalen Williams has increased his playing time in three straight contests after returning from a lengthy absence caused by a hamstring tweak. He appears poised to make a defensive unit with Luguentz Dort, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Alex Caruso even more formidable.
The NBA's second-best scoring defense has the tools to limit the league's most dominant offensive threat. Stifling Doncic in back-to-back games is no easy task, though.
Alex Caruso (illness) is questionable for Oklahoma City, while Marcus Smart (ankle) has been ruled out for Los Angeles.
Lakers vs Thunder Predictions, Betting Analysis
Oklahoma City beat the LeBron James-less Lakers by 29 points in a game that totaled 213 points in November. I expect Los Angeles to be more competitive this time around, but the Thunder's defense remains elite.
The Thunder are coming off a month in which they matched their season-low by allowing just 105.7 points per game to opposing teams. They gave up 107.3 points per game at the Paycom Center.
I'm not willing to bet on Doncic falling short of expectations again, but I don't trust his teammates to do enough. These teams have combined for only 221.0 points per game through two meetings in their 2025-26 season series.
Pick: Under 232.5 (-110)
