Oklahoma City Thunder vs Los Angeles Lakers Prediction 5/9/2026 Today’s NBA Picks

The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Los Angeles Lakers collide in a crucial Game 3 of the West Semifinals at the Crypto.com Arena on Saturday night.

Oklahoma City Thunder Betting Preview 

The Oklahoma City Thunder have yet to lose a game in these playoffs and they are now sitting pretty with a 2-0 series lead after beating the Lakers by 125-107 on Thursday night. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the team with 22 points, Chet Holmgren added 22 points with nine rebounds, four steals and two blocks on seven of 11 shooting while Ajay Mitchell chipped in with 20 points and six assists. As a team, the Thunder shot a healthy 56 percent from the field and 14 of 36 from the 3-point line as they got off to a sloppy start and allowed 35 points in the second quarter to trail at halftime, but they never trailed again after going on a pivotal 21-7 run in the third quarter to blow past the Lakers with ease in the end. 

Los Angeles Lakers Betting Preview 

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers needed to come out swinging after dropping the series opener, but despite a better performance, the Lakers still weren’t able to avoid getting blown out on the road in Game 2. Austin Reaves bounced back from his quiet Game 1 with 31 points and six assists on 10 of 16 shooting, LeBron James added 23 points with six assists on nine of 18 shooting while Rui Hachimura chipped in with 16 points on six of 10 shooting. As a team, the Lakers shot 50 percent from the field and 11 of 29 from the 3-point line as they poured in 35 points in the second quarter to lead at halftime after trailing by nine points early on, but a cold stretch late in the third quarter cost them as they were always playing from behind from that point. Deandre Ayton had a quiet game of just three points on one of seven shooting while Jaxson Hayes scored six points with two assists in his 15 minutes off the bench. 

Oklahoma City v Los Angeles Free Prediction

The Thunder have listed Jalen Williams as a game time decision but he is expected to sit out Game 3, while the Lakers have listed Jarred Vanderbilt as questionable. The Lakers played much better in Game 2 than they did in the series opener, but it still didn’t change much as they lost by the exact same margin despite a big game from Reaves. The Thunder are still missing Williams, but they have just about everything else going for them as they smashed the Lakers twice despite two subpar performances from Gilgeous-Alexander. The Lakers’ role players will show up at home and I think we will see a more competitive contest, but the Thunder hold a seven-game win streak over the Lakers and have covered in each of those games, so I will stick with the Thunder to get the win and cover on the road in this spot.

Peter Tran's Pick: Oklahoma City -8.5