Hollywood loves an underdog story.
Too bad those long shots are reserved to the silver screen and not the purple and gold hardwood of Crypto.com Arena.
The Los Angeles Lakers are back in La-La Land buried in a 0-2 series hole to the Oklahoma City Thunder. My Thunder vs. Lakers predictions and same-game parlay for Game 3 doesn’t buy into that Tinsel Town magic, taking OKC to cover on the continued dominance of their big man in the middle, Chet Holmgren.
Here are my best NBA picks for May 9.
Our best Thunder vs Lakers SGP for Game 3
SGP leg #1: Thunder -8.5
The Oklahoma City Thunder haven’t got the best from their top star, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and honestly haven’t looked dominant in the first two games of this Round 2 series. However, OKC has won the battle over 48 minutes, wearing down a talent-thin Los Angeles Lakers squad to pull away and cover massive spreads in the first two contests.
The 8.5-point spread for Game 3 is just the second time Oklahoma City has laid single digits in the playoffs and OKC seems to have L.A.’s number, boasting a perfect 6-0 SU and ATS mark against the Lakers so far this season.
SGP leg #2: Marcus Smart Over 3.5 assists
Marcus Smart is shooting too much in the first two games of this series. Los Angeles needs the veteran point guard to be just that, prompting extra playmaking from Smart in Game 3.
He’s already dished out five and seven assists in the opening two games of this series and passing on shots and generating more potential assists will see him top four or more dimes for the seventh time in nine postseason games Saturday.
SGP leg #3: Chet Holmgren Over 16.5 points
The Lakers don’t have the size or versatility in their frontcourt to properly counter Chet Holmgren.
With the Lakers focused on flustering SGA, Holmgren is getting plenty of space to operate down low and is killing the Lakers whenever he steps outside the arc. He’s scored 22 and 24 points so far in this Round 2 set and his Game 3 models all sit above this modest total of 16.5 points for Saturday night.
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Get Jason Logan's full breakdown of this game, including his best bet, plus the latest NBA odds, injuries, and betting trends, in his Thunder vs Lakers predictions for Game 3.
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