The basketball gods seem angry with the Los Angeles Lakers. Losing two of their three best players for at least a few weeks just as the playoffs near certainly changes every thought Los Angeles has.
Few opponents will pester a new point guard as aggressively as the Oklahoma City Thunder will, but my Thunder vs. Lakers predictions and these NBA picks still see value in new-look L.A. point guard Luke Kennard on Tuesday, April 7.
Thunder vs Lakers prediction
Thunder vs Lakers best bet: Luke Kennard Over 5.5 assists (+105)
Point guard Luke Kennard. That is a reality for the Los Angeles Lakers as the playoffs loom. This was certainly not their plan.
With both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves sidelined for the next few weeks, Kennard and LeBron James shared the offensive initiation duties in Sunday’s loss at Dallas, with James playing nearly 39 minutes and dishing out 15 assists while Kennard played more than 41 minutes and handed out 11 assists.
Expect Kennard to also cough up a bounty of turnovers against the Oklahoma City Thunder’s perimeter defenders. That should be obvious.
But the sheer amount of ball-handling now required of Kennard creates unquestionable value in this prop. As long as Los Angeles has hopes of the No. 3 seed in the West — currently effectively tied with the Nuggets, though the Lakers hold the tiebreaker — expect them to lean into this new-fangled look.
This was not the design, but it is now the reality.
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Thunder vs Lakers same-game parlay
The value is in Kennard’s assists prop, not as much as in LeBron James’s. Kennard’s ball-handling role is the surprise induced by Los Angeles’s injuries; LeBron already initiated plenty.
The reaction to Sunday’s stats should be amazement at how much Kennard was asked to do. LeBron’s 15 assists were impressive, but also less of an outlier than Kennard’s 11.
Thunder vs Lakers SGP
- Luke Kennard Over 5.5 assists
- LeBron James Under 9.5 assists
- Thunder moneyline
Our "from downtown" SGP: Rest LeBron?
JJ Redick faces a difficult choice this week. As the No. 3 seed slips from Los Angeles’s grasp, how long will he ride LeBron James? Any deficit against the Thunder tonight should quickly feel insurmountable, and getting some rest for the 41-year-old James before the playoffs is certainly a concern on Redick’s mind.
Thunder vs Lakers SGP
- Thunder -17
- LeBron James Under 9.5 assists
- LeBron James Under 23.5 points
- LeBron James Under 6.5 rebounds
Thunder vs Lakers odds
- Spread: Thunder -17 | Lakers +17
- Moneyline: Thunder -2000 | Lakers +1000
- Over/Under: Over 222.5 | Under 222.5
Thunder vs Lakers betting trend to know
The looming threat of the Spurs in the standings has kept the Thunder engaged enough to go 3-1 against the spread in their last four games, all as favorites of at least eight points. Find more NBA betting trends for Thunder vs. Lakers.
How to watch Thunder vs Lakers
| Location | Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA |
| Date | Tuesday, April 7, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 10:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | Spectrum SportsNet, FDSN-Oklahoma |
Thunder vs Lakers latest injuries
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