Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Los Angeles Lakers Picks and Predictions, Monday, February 9th, 2026
Use Code WWWC The Oklahoma City Thunder (40-13) and the Los Angeles Lakers (32-19) tipoff a high profile matchup on Monday night in this Thunder vs. Lakers prediction. This is their second matchup of the season, as Oklahoma City rolled to an easy 121-92 win at home in November. The Thunder just lost at home to Houston 112-106, losing outright as 4.5-point favorites. The Lakers are coming off a 105-99 win over the Warriors, covering as 2.5-point favorites. Tipoff is set for 10:00 EST and can be found on Peacock. Keep reading to see our Thunder vs. Lakers prediction, and check out all of our best NBA Picks.
Oklahoma City is Short on Stars
The Oklahoma City Thunder are trying to keep the ship afloat heading into the All-Star Game, as two of their top players are sidelined with injuries. Most notably, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is sidelined with an abdominal strain, and is not set to play until after the break. Jalen Williams is also out with a hamstring injury, which will challenge the Thunder's depth. They come into this game off back to back losses to the Spurs and Rockets, and will look for a bounce back game here.
The Thunder still hold a 3.5-game lead over the Spurs who sit in second in the West. Chet Holmgren will be available for this game, as the 23-year old will play in his first All-Star Game this season. Holmgren is averaging 17.7 PPG and 8.7 RPG, and has had a double-double in each of their last two losses. Ajay Mitchell sat out against the Rockets, and is a gametime decision here as well. Aaron Wiggins will need to step up his scoring, the wing is getting 10.9 PPG, but will be asked to score more with all the injuries on the team.
Cason Wallace was their leading scorer last game with 23 points in the loss to Houston, he is scoring 8.2 PPG on the year and is a menace on defense. The Thunder currently rank 9th in offensive efficiency and 1st in defensive efficiency according to dunksandthrees.com. Oklahoma City plays at an average pace, ranking 16th in possessions per game.
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Lakers Win Three Straight
The Los Angeles Lakers are coming into this showdown with the Thunder with positive momentum, as they have won each of their last three games. They won in Brooklyn against the Nets, then took back to back home games against the 76ers and Warriors. The Lakers are 5th in the West, but are just one game behind the Nuggets up in 3rd place. In their last game against the Warriors, LeBron James led the team in scoring with 20 points.
LeBron is still productive for the Lakers, as the 41-year old is averaging 21.8 PPG, 6.8 APG and 5.7 RPG. Bron has scored 20 or more in four of his last five games and will play in yet another All-Star Game this month. Their stop scorer is Luka Doncic, he is getting 32.8 PPG which leads the entire league in scoring. Doncic will be a game time decision here, as he is dealing with a minor hamstring strain. Austin Reaves is having the best season of his young career, he is getting 26.1 PPG and dishing out 6.0 APG.
Deandre Ayton starts in the middle and is getting 13.4 PPG, with Rui Hachimura pitching in another 12.1 PPG. The Lakers are ranked 12th in offensive efficiency and 19th in defensive efficiency. Los Angeles plays even slower than Oklahoma City, ranking 23rd in the league in pace of play.
Injury Report for Thunder vs. Lakers:
Thunder:
- Out: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams
- Questionable: Ajay Mitchell
Lakers:
- Questionable: Luka Doncic, Deandre Ayton
Thunder vs. Lakers Picks and Predictions
Spread pick for Thunder vs. Lakers
- Lakers to cover (5 units)
Los Angeles is catching Oklahoma City at the right time, as the reigning champs are reeling due to injuries to their top stars. Gilgeous-Alexander will be sidelined here, as will Jalen Williams as the Thunder have to scratch and claw their way to victories without two of their top talents. Chet Holmgren is still here, but he is not the type of player to dominate a game by scoring, he has scored 20 or under in each of his last six games. The Lakers will have LeBron and Reaves here, and there is a chance Luka suits up as well. The Lakers have won three straight, and will play strong here on their home floor.
Take the Lakers to cover
Over/Under Pick for Thunder vs. Lakers
- Under (4 units)
It has been well documented in this article that the Thunder will be without SGA and Jalen Williams, this will change their playing style and have them slowing the ball down more often. SGA is their driving force who looks for quick midrange shots, without him they will focus more on Holmgren, who needs more time to get good looks. These teams are both in the bottom half of the league in possessions per game, and the Thunder have the league's top rated defense. Expect a low scoring game here.
Take the under.
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