Lakers vs. Thunder Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Thursday, April 2

The matchup of the night in the NBA takes place in Oklahoma City, as MVP candidates Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic go head-to-head in a potential Western Conference Finals preview.

The Thunder already gave 60 wins in the 2025-26 season and are looking to lock up the top seed in the West, but the Lakers are rolling since the All-Star break, posting a 17-5 record and a +7.3 net rating after knocking off Cleveland on Tuesday.

This game could have a major impact on the MVP race, as a strong showing from either SGA or Doncic could sway some voters (and potentially the odds) towards one of the two players.

OKC is favored at home – where it is 32-6 this season – and it has wins by 29 and nine points over L.A. this season. These teams will meet one more time on April 7, but this first matchup will be a good test for where each squad stands in their odds to win the West.

I’m eyeing a player prop and a game pick for this marquee matchup, but first let’s take a look at odds, injury reports and more on Thursday night.

Lakers vs. Thunder Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

Lakers +9.5 (-118)
Thunder -9.5 (-102)

Moneyline

Lakers: +295
Thunder: -375

Total

231.5 (Over -115/Under -105)

Lakers vs. Thunder How to Watch

Date: Thursday, April 2
Time: 9:30 p.m. EST
Venue: Paycom Center
How to Watch (TV): Prime Video
Lakers record: 50-26
Thunder record: 60-16

Lakers vs. Thunder Injury Reports

Lakers Injury Report

Adou Thiero – out
Marcus Smart – out
Dalton Knecht – out
Kobe Bufkin – out

Thunder Injury Report

Alex Caruso – questionable
Thomas Sorber – out

Lakers vs. Thunder Best NBA Prop Bets

Lakers Best NBA Prop Bet

Luka Doncic OVER 31.5 Points (-116)

Earlier today, I shared in my NBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points – why Doncic is a buy-low candidate at this number:

Luka Doncic had one of the best months of any player in the 2025-26 season, averaging 37.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game after dropping 42 points in a win over Cleveland on Tuesday.

Doncic has scored 32 or more points in 11 of his last 13 games, and he hasn’t scored less than 30 points in a game since March 5.

The Thunder have the No. 1 defense in the NBA, and they held Doncic to just 19 points in a game earlier this season, but I have a hard time passing up the Lakers star at a number that is below his season average (33.8 points per game).

Doncic leads the NBA in free throws per game and field goal attempts (23.0) per game, giving him a really solid floor when it comes to this prop. In a potential Western Conference Finals preview, I’ll bet on Doncic rising to the occasion for the Lakers.

Lakers vs. Thunder Prediction and Pick

Are the Lakers undervalued in this marquee matchup?

L.A. has a +7.3 net rating since the All-Star break (seventh in the NBA) while the Thunder sit at +9.0 during that same stretch.

OKC is a dominant home team and will likely win this game, but it’s just 16-21 against the spread as a home favorite and is now playing one of the hottest teams in the NBA.

Doncic has turned this Lakers offense into one of the five-best units in the NBA, and I wouldn’t be shocked if L.A. can keep this game within double digits. The Thunder went to overtime with a short-handed Detroit team earlier in the week, and they have played a bunch of close games against some of the best teams in the league since the break (Boston, New York, Denver, Minnesota).

I’ll take the points with L.A., even though it’s just 8-9 ATS as a road underdog this season.

Pick: Lakers +9.5 (-118 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

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