Top seeds in the Western Conference go head-to-head on Wednesday night when the Oklahoma City Thunder hosts the Los Angeles Lakers at the Paycom Center.
The Thunder (11-1, 1st West) haven’t shown any signs of a championship hangover, opening the season 8-0 and entering Wednesday’s matchup on a three-game winning streak — each by at least 14 points. The Lakers (8-3, 4th West), meanwhile, had previously strung together five straight wins of their own and head to OKC fresh off a double-digit victory over the Charlotte Hornets.
The LeBron-less Lakers have held their own in a crowded Western Conference behind NBA’s leading scorer, Luka Doncic — who’s building an MVP-caliber campaign in his first full season in Purple and Gold.
Tipoff is set for 9:30 p.m. ET. Oklahoma City enters as an 8.5-point favorite, while Los Angeles sits as a +260 underdog. The total is set at 228.5 points.
Ahead of Wednesday night’s contest, here’s my favorite Luka Doncic prop bet on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Best Luka Doncic prop bet for Lakers vs. Thunder
Best Bet: Luka Doncic 4+ Threes (-128)
Doncic has been so good that the guy who traded him got fired, and the guy he got traded for might be heading back to the trade block. The Slovenian guard has gotten off to an electric start to his first full season in LA, averaging an NBA-leading 37.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 9.1 assists, while shooting 49.1% from the floor.
On Wednesday, he faces the most ferocious defense in the league — on their turf. OKC leads the NBA in defensive rating, allowing just north of 104 points per 100 possessions (Denver is next at 109). The defending champs limit second-chance opportunities, shut down fast breaks, and lock down the paint.
But there’s one thing that Oklahoma City struggles with: guarding the perimeter. The Thunder rank 24th in opponent three-point percentage at a bloated 37.3.%. They surrender nearly 15 threes per game, the fourth-most in the league.
Doncic would be wise to attack the defending champs from the outside — a strategy he’s more than comfortable with. The 26-year-old star takes a league-high 12 three-point attempts per game, hitting just under four a night at a 32% clip. He’s knocked down four or more deep balls in five of seven games this season, and has done so in three-straight contests.
Count on Doncic to let it rain from the outside in another dazzling performance.
