The Thunder has a quick turnaround as they host the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night. OKC saw Isaiah Hartenstein, Isaiah Joe, and Ajay Mitchell all leave in the second half on Sunday, so the Thunder could be without them. However, Atlanta is dealing with health issues of their own. Kristaps Porzingis and Jalen Johnson are out due to illness, and Trae Young is questionable with a quad contusion.
This is a tough game to pick because there are several variables up in the air. We know for sure that Jalen Williams is out for OKC, but Boston could be with or without any combination of 3 of their starters (Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, and Jayson Tatum). Regardless of who plays, though, the Thunder is so far ahead in the West that it would seem they might let off the gas. At the same time, they need to head into the postseason with some momentum. With JDub out due to a strained hip, I can see Shai Gilgeous-Alexander going for another 50-piece, so I’m taking OKC to cover and get a win in Boston for the first time in almost 4 years.
View More Thunder Against the Spread | OKC a Rare Underdog Against Celtics in Boston
OKC continues to win games in improbable ways, and if they don’t get off to a good start today, it might catch up with them. The NBA Champions of last year are no pushover, but I think the Thunder might be just a little bit deeper, even with the injuries. I expect this one to be decided late, possibly on the final possession of the game, but I’m taking the Thunder to cover and continue their win streak.
View More Thunder Against the Spread | OKC Barely Favored at Home Against Celtics
The Wizards are missing star shooting guard Bradley Beal, and without him, the Thunder very clearly has the superior backcourt. Washington doesn’t really have anybody that can stop Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, so he should be able to score at will, and because he will draw extra attention, teammates will find themselves with open shots. Washington is 7-6 without Beal, and they have won 5 of their last 6 overall, three of those wins coming without Beal. OKC will need to slow down Washington’s bigs and control the boards, but if the Thunder can do that, then they should be able to pull out the win for the home crowd.
View More Thunder Against the Spread | OKC Favored at Home Against Wizards
Now the Thunder is set to host the Washington Wizards on Friday night. OKC defeated the Wizards in Washington last November off an incredible display from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, which included a game-winning three to seal the deal 121-120. Both teams are dealing with some injuries that will surely have an impact on the game.
View More Oklahoma City Thunder | Game #39 Preview: Washington Wizards
Tonight the Thunder continues their road trip as they take on the Washington Wizards. The Wizards are riding a 4-game win streak, and Bradley Beal is set to make a return after missing 5 games due to COVID-19 protocols and conditioning issues. In his absence, Kristaps Porzingis has played well, especially in the last two games, scoring 31 and 25 points respectively.
View More Oklahoma City Thunder | Game #15 Preview: Washington Wizards
Oklahoma City isn’t winning a lot of games, but they are covering the spread more often than not by a good margin, whereas Dallas is almost split right down the middle. Double digits seems like a lot of ground to cover, even when the Mavs have two wins against the Thunder in OKC by 19 and 9 points. The Thunder is actually slightly better at covering the spread when it’s in the 10-13 point range, so I anticipate a single-digit differential tonight.
View More Thunder Against the Spread | Take the Thunder to Cover in Dallas
The Oklahoma City Thunder kicked off the second half of the season with an impressive 116-108 against a Dallas Mavericks squad who was missing both Luka Dončić and Kristaps Porzingis. Despite the lack of star power for the Mavs, they were still able to make the game interesting in the end. It wasn’t enough, however, as the Thunder finished strong behind a good old-fashioned team effort.
View More The Thunder Lowdown | Game #37: Thunder Kicks off Second Half of Season with a Win
It’s been a week since the Oklahoma City Thunder last played basketball, and they entered the NBA All-Star Break on a high note with a 107-102 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. The night before on March 3rd, however, OKC struggled to get much done as they dropped an 87-78 decision to the Dallas Mavericks. Tonight, just 8 days later, the Thunder and the Mavs get a rematch.
View More OKC Thunder | Game #37: Mavericks
The potential of not having to play against Luka Doncic is huge for Oklahoma City. However, even before that the Thunder were trending well against the Mavs, especially considering they are on the road when they’ve posted a 12-5 record against the spread this season. The Mavs are 5-11 against the spread at home this season and just 3-10 as a home favorite. Even more alarming for Dallas is that they are 0-5 this season when favored between 6.5 and 9.5 points.
View More Thunder Against The Spread | Back On The Road As Underdogs