The Thunder take the court tonight in Oklahoma City up just one game against the Lakers but seemingly in complete control. OKC dominated LA in the opener, winning 108–90.
The Oklahoma City Thunder look every bit the part of defending champions having dictated every aspect of the opener including the pace and the physicality, and defensive tone. Even with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander held to a season-low 18 points, Chet Holmgren’s 24 points and 12 rebounds and OKC’s overall length and interior presence overwhelmed Los Angeles at both ends of the court
For the Lakers, the story is simple: they need far more than LeBron James. The NBA great scored 27 points in Game 1, but the supporting cast struggled mightily, most notably Austin Reaves, who shot just 3-for-16 from the field in what was described as one of the most inefficient playoff games of his career. With Luka Dončić (hamstring) still sidelined, the Lakers’ offense was predictable. This allowed OKC to load up defensively on LA’s role players and force LeBron to shoulder the entire burden. Los Angeles must reduce the number of turnovers, improve their perimeter shooting, and find a way to generate easier looks against OKC’s swarming defense. Sounds easy enough.
With OKC favored in Game 2 by double digits again and boasting advantages in rebounding, efficiency, and depth, the pressure is squarely on L.A. to make meaningful adjustments. Whether Reaves rebounds, whether LeBron can sustain another high-usage night, and whether the Lakers can withstand OKC’s relentless pace all while hoping Shai Gilgeous-Alexander does not bounce back will determine tonight’s outcome. The overwhelming majority know that if the Thunder replicate their defensive intensity and balanced scoring, they will head to Southern California with a commanding 2–0 lead in this series.
Lets take a closer look at tonight’s matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game Details and How to Watch Live: Thunder vs. Lakers
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Date: Thursday, May 7, 2026
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Network/Streaming: Amazon Prime Video
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Game Odds: Thunder vs. Lakers
The latest odds as of Thursday courtesy of DraftKings:
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Moneyline: Oklahoma City Thunder (-900), Los Angeles Lakers (+600)
This game opened Thunder -15.5 with the Game Total set at 212.5.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
Expected Starting Lineups: Thunder vs. Lakers
Oklahoma City Thunder
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PG Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Los Angeles Lakers
Injury Report: Thunder vs. Lakers
Oklahoma City Thunder
Los Angeles Lakers
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Luka Doncic (hamstring) has been declared OUT of tonight’s game
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Luke Kennard (neck) is listed as questionable for tonight’s game
Important stats, trends and insights: Thunder vs. Lakers
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The Lakers are 27-18 on the road this season
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The Thunder are 37-7 at home this season
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The Lakers are 49-39-1 ATS this season
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OKC is 42-44-1 ATS this season
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The OVER has cashed in 47 of the Thunder’s 87 games this season (47-40)
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The OVER has cashed in 44 of the Lakers’ 89 games this season (44-45)
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander turned the ball over a season-high 7 times in Game 1
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Lu Dort scored 6 points in Game 1
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Dort has failed to reach double digits in scoring in the playoffs this season
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McCain was the game’s top 3-point shooter knocking down 4 (in 5 attempts)
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Deandre Ayton pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds (as did Chet Holmgren)
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Marcus Smart had 7 assists, his highest total since Game 3 of their series against the Rockets
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for tonight’s Thunder and Lakers’ game:
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Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline
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Spread: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Thunder -15.5 ATS
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Total: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from play on the Game Total of 209.5
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Thunder Game Total: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Thunder Game Total OVER 112.5
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
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Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
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Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
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Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
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Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)
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