Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Picks and Prediction, Wednesday, November 12, 2025
Use Code WWWC The Los Angeles Lakers (8-3) and the Oklahoma City Thunder (10-1) tip off for a high-profile matchup in the Western Conference on Wednesday night in this Lakers vs Thunder prediction. The Lakers are coming off a 121-111 win in Charlotte, covering the spread as 8.5-point road favorites. The Thunder will be playing their second game in two nights, as they host the Warriors on Tuesday night (Note: This article was published before Tuesday's results). Tipoff is set for 9:30 EST and can be found on ESPN. See below for our Lakers vs. Thunder prediction, and check out all of our winning NBA Predictions!
Los Angeles Waits for the King
The Los Angeles Lakers have still not played a game with LeBron James this season, as the future Hall of Famer has been recently cleared for practice with his back injury. The Lakers will have to figure out how to work the King back into the lineup, as they have gotten out to a strong 8-3 record with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves steering the ship. Los Angeles is in the middle of a five-game road trip, with their most recent win coming in Charlotte as they were led by Doncic with 38 points in the victory.
Luka is putting up incredible numbers to start the season, leading the Lakers with 37.1 PPG, 9.4 RPG, and 9.1 APG. He leads the NBA in scoring and is converting 3.9 threes per game, but hopes to improve on his 32.1% success rate from beyond the arc. Austin Reaves might be the player who needs to adjust his game when LeBron returns, but as of right now, he is putting up 30.3 PPG and 9.0 APG, playing the best basketball of his career. Deandre Ayton was brought over to man the middle and is getting 16.5 PPG and 7.8 RPG as their starting center.
Rui Hachimura has been on fire from the outside. The stretch forward is converting 52.4% of his threes the season, benefiting from the space created by Doncic and Reaves. The Lakers are 11th in the NBA in offensive efficiency and 19th in defensive efficiency according to dunksandthrees.com. The Lakers play slow, ranking 25th in the league in possessions per game.
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Injury Report:
Out: LeBron James, Gabe Vincent, Adou Theiro
Thunder Battle Through the Storm
The Oklahoma City Thunder picked up where they left off last season, as the reigning champs have won 10 of their first 11 games. They now hit the toughest patch of their schedule so far, as they host Steph Curry and Luka Doncic on back-to-back nights. This will test the depth of the Thunder, as the team has already been playing without All-Star guard Jalen Williams, who is unlikely to go in this one. Their most recent game was a 114-110 win over Memphis, where OKC was led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 35 points.
SGA is the reigning MVP, and his midrange game continues to evolve as he is becoming one of the top players in the league. So far this season he is getting 33.2 PPG to go with 6.0 APG and 5.2 RPG. He has been solid from the outside, making over two three-pointers per game on a 34.8% shooting clip. Chet Holmgren has already missed some games this season, but is scheduled to play in this back-to-back. The big man is averaging 19.1 PPG and 8.6 RPG as a versatile 7'1 forward with guard skills. Ajay Mitchell has been one of their surprises this season, he recently cracked the starting lineup and is getting 17.2 PPG.
Cason Wallace and Isaiah Hartenstein rounded out the starting lineup in their last game, as the team is still battling some injuries to some of their top role players. The Thunder are currently 5th in offensive efficiency and 1st in defensive efficiency. The Thunder are 6th in the league in possessions per game.
Injury Report:
Out: Jalen Williams, Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins, Nikola Topic, Thomas Sorber, Kenrich Williams
Lakers vs. Thunder Picks and Predictions
Spread pick for Lakers vs. Thunder
- Lakers to cover (5 units)
Fading the Thunder sounds riskier than it really is, because while they are 10-1 straight up, they are only 6-5 against the spread. The Thunder have not been consistently covering the number, and are in a difficult spot here as they face this back-to-back against elite talent. The Thunder have to take on the Warriors on Tuesday night, which figures to be a hard-fought battle, then have the quick turn around to face the well-rested Lakers here. On top of this, Oklahoma City is without Jalen Williams, Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins, that is three of their best perimeter defenders on a night when they have to take on Luka Doncic and his 37.1 PPG. The Lakers are catching the Thunder at the right time and will get the cover here.
Take the Lakers to cover.
Over/Under Pick for Lakers vs. Thunder
- Over (4 units)
This is not a spot to expect a high level of defense. Oklahoma City has the better defense of the two teams, but keep in mind they will be playing their second game in two days. When fatigue starts to set in, the defense is the first thing to go, and the Lakers will look to push the pace when they see advantages. As mentioned earlier, the Thunder will be without three of their top wing defenders, and are facing two perimeter players who are each averaging over 30 PPG. The Lakers are only 19th in defensive efficiency, and as long as SGA is healthy, the Thunder will still be dangerous on offense. Expect a lot of points here.
Take the over.
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