Lakers vs. Thunder Game 1: Pick and Prediction Against the Spread for 1st Game

The Los Angeles Lakers are traveling to Oklahoma City on Monday to take on the Thunder to start off what should be a great series.

It should also be an awesome series for gamblers, as there will be plenty of action and smart plays to be made on the games.

Let’s take a look at some of the possible wagers for the first game and predict which side will win.

All lines from ScoresAndOdds.com.

Lakers +7.5 at Thunder

Los Angeles matches up well with OKC and should be getting more respect.

The Lakers have bangers down low who can score in Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol. They have Metta World Peace back from suspension, and of course, the Black Mamba himself—Kobe Bryant—will be taking over like he does in most playoff contests.

L.A. last played the Thunder back on April 22—the game in which World Peace viciously elbowed Harden and drew the suspension—and came out on top in a double-OT thriller.

The Lakers may not win this, but they will easily cover such a large spread.

Over: 191.5

If you like L.A. to make it a close game, as I do, the over is a natural play as well.

It’s going to be tough for the Lake Show to keep Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook in check defensively, which is why they’ll have to score points to keep this respectable. 

They certainly have proved capable of doing so, and Bryant can score at will from anywhere on the floor. This total could realistically end up in the 200s before the final buzzer sounds.

There are plenty of bets to put on this epic game between the Lakers and Thunder, but these are two of the safer ones you will find. Good luck tonight!