Lakers Fight For Life in NBA Playoffs
Tonight (Monday, May 21), the Los Angeles Lakers will be fighting for their lives in the NBA playoffs, as they trail Oklahoma City Thunder 3-1 in their best-of-seven Western Conference Semifinals series.
So the million dollar NBA playoffs betting question is whether the team in yellow can dig deep enough this evening and prevent their unceremonious exit from the playoffs? For our NBA playoffs betting buck, the answer is no. The reason is that the Lakers blew it big time on Saturday night when they let their lead - which they held for most of the game - slip through their fingers to allow the Thunder to scrape a win on 103-100.
That said, credit for Oklahoma City's well-deserved victory must go to two of the team's most talented players - Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant - who both earned their salaries and then some on the Lakers' home turf. Westbrook finished on 37 points and Durant finished on 31 points.
Lakers Snatched Defeat from Jaws of Victory
The cliche "they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory" seems to be far to familiar to the Lakers these days, and if they expect to continue to be contenders this NBA season, they need to pull their fingers out, and get their heads back in the game. Tonight may well be their last chance.
What's more, the team from Los Angeles will be without their home court advantage this evening and will have to contend with a highly fired up Oklahoma City crowd. However, one Lakers player who will come out firing on all cylinders is superstar Kobe Bryant, who chalked up a respectable 38 points last time out.
The problem is that no matter how well he plays tonight, without the support of his teammates he will be left dangling in the wind, like a very tall and highly paid wind chime. Even though his teammates each scored into the double digits on Saturday, it wasn't enough to keep the Thunder (and lighting) at bay.
Thunder are 4-1-1 ATS in Last 6 Games
From an NBA playoffs betting standpoint, the Thunder are 4-1-1 ATS in their last six games, and have won an impressive seven our of their last eight games. They are also 6-2-1 ATS in their last nine home games against the Lakers.
The Lakers, meanwhile, have managed to rack just one victory in their last seven games on the road. Plus, they are 2-6 overall in their last eight games played in Oklahoma City, so with the stats stacked high against them, it's no wonder they will start as the + 8 point underdogs tonight.
Here are the latest Los Angeles Lakers vs Oklahoma City Thunder odds at leading Canadian-friendly online sportsbook, Bodog:
Game 5 - Lakers vs Thunder Odds
| Spread | Money Line | Total | |
| A Los Angeles Lakers | +8 10/11 | 10/3 | o192 10/11 |
| H Oklahoma City Thunder | -8 10/11 | 4/17 | u192 10/11 |
