FREE
Stephen Nover Free Monday Play
(NBA) LA Lakers vs. Oklahoma City,
Total: 215.00 | -110.00 Under
Result: Loss
Total: 215.00 | -110.00 Under
Result: Loss
It will be a celebration of Kobe Bryant's last road game as the Thunder host the Lakers today. The important thing we need to take from that is the over has cashed 16 of 22 times for 73 percent in Bryant's final visit to opposing arenas. The over is 18-7-1 (72 percent) in the Lakers' last 26 away contests.
The Lakers' young players haven't learned to play defense and Bryant just fires up shots. The end result is the Lakers' rank second-to-last in defensive field goal percentage. They've surrendered triple digits in 10 of their past 11 games. During their past two games - both on the road - LA gave up 110 points to the decimated Pelicans and 130 points to the Rockets.
LA's defensive shortcomings really are apparent on the road. The over has cashed in eight of the Lakers' past 10 road matchups. During this road span - in addition to giving up an average of 120 points to the Pelicans and Rockets - the Lakers yielded 123 points to the Jazz, 119 to the Suns, 128 to the Grizzlies, 126 to the Bulls and 117 to the Nuggets. Those teams all rank among the bottom-12 in scoring.
Oklahoma City ranks No. 2 in scoring at 110.4 points a game. The Thunder averaged 118.3 points in three games versus the Lakers this season. The Lakers are allowing an average of 118.4 points during their last 10 road games. The two teams have gone over in eight of their past 11 meetings and have gone above the total during six of their past seven games in Oklahoma City.
The big question is how will Thunder coach Billy Donovan approach this game having already captured the Northwest Division title and No. 3 seed in the West? Oklahoma City closes out its regular season at San Antonio on Tuesday. I say that will be the game Donovan chooses to rest his starters. The Thunder very well could meet the Spurs in the second round of the playoffs so there's no point in showing anything, or giving the Spurs additional incentive.
The Thunder also are off an upset road loss to the Kings in their last game this past Saturday. That was the Thunder's fourth loss in six games. They don't want to enter the postseason on such a low note especially with a road game against the Spurs looming on Tuesday.
Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are chasing down records, too. Durant, who says Bryant was his idol, would love to have a big game. If he scores at least 20 points, he passes Bryant for the longest streak of scoring 20 or more points since 2005-06 and would be one 20-point game away from matching Michael Jordan's string of 69 from 1990-91. Westbrook is one triple-double away from breaking Magic Johnson's mark of 17, which would be the most in a season since 1985-86.
Properly motivated, those two superstars should light up the Lakers.
(Editor's note: Stephen Nover is 65-38 on his last 103 premium and free NBA plays for a long-term winning percentage of 63 percent. Stephen has his April NBA Game of the Month going today in addition to this free selection.)
The Lakers' young players haven't learned to play defense and Bryant just fires up shots. The end result is the Lakers' rank second-to-last in defensive field goal percentage. They've surrendered triple digits in 10 of their past 11 games. During their past two games - both on the road - LA gave up 110 points to the decimated Pelicans and 130 points to the Rockets.
LA's defensive shortcomings really are apparent on the road. The over has cashed in eight of the Lakers' past 10 road matchups. During this road span - in addition to giving up an average of 120 points to the Pelicans and Rockets - the Lakers yielded 123 points to the Jazz, 119 to the Suns, 128 to the Grizzlies, 126 to the Bulls and 117 to the Nuggets. Those teams all rank among the bottom-12 in scoring.
Oklahoma City ranks No. 2 in scoring at 110.4 points a game. The Thunder averaged 118.3 points in three games versus the Lakers this season. The Lakers are allowing an average of 118.4 points during their last 10 road games. The two teams have gone over in eight of their past 11 meetings and have gone above the total during six of their past seven games in Oklahoma City.
The big question is how will Thunder coach Billy Donovan approach this game having already captured the Northwest Division title and No. 3 seed in the West? Oklahoma City closes out its regular season at San Antonio on Tuesday. I say that will be the game Donovan chooses to rest his starters. The Thunder very well could meet the Spurs in the second round of the playoffs so there's no point in showing anything, or giving the Spurs additional incentive.
The Thunder also are off an upset road loss to the Kings in their last game this past Saturday. That was the Thunder's fourth loss in six games. They don't want to enter the postseason on such a low note especially with a road game against the Spurs looming on Tuesday.
Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are chasing down records, too. Durant, who says Bryant was his idol, would love to have a big game. If he scores at least 20 points, he passes Bryant for the longest streak of scoring 20 or more points since 2005-06 and would be one 20-point game away from matching Michael Jordan's string of 69 from 1990-91. Westbrook is one triple-double away from breaking Magic Johnson's mark of 17, which would be the most in a season since 1985-86.
Properly motivated, those two superstars should light up the Lakers.
(Editor's note: Stephen Nover is 65-38 on his last 103 premium and free NBA plays for a long-term winning percentage of 63 percent. Stephen has his April NBA Game of the Month going today in addition to this free selection.)
