Pinnacle sports opened up the betting odds with the Thunder as six-point favorites, but that number has risen by 1.5 points, while the total has settled in at 191.5.
Los Angeles is certainly getting the worst of the 2012 NBA playoff schedule in this matchup, as it received just a single day off after advancing past the Denver Nuggets in the first round with a 96-87 victory as 5.5-point home favorites in Game 7 on Saturday night.
Lakers guard Kobe Bryant is averaging 29.1 points in the 2012 NBA playoffs through seven games, collecting his 31st consecutive postseason series in averaging 20-plus points per game. He may have trouble reaching that type of number in this series due to the Thunder limiting him to 73 combined points (24.3 PPG) in three regular-season meetings this year.
Sports bettors will find that the Lakers are 0-3 against the spread as road underdogs of 6.5 to 9 points, while the "over" cashed in two of those three contests.
Oklahoma City returns to the court after finishing off a first-round sweep of the Dallas Mavericks with a 103-97 road win on May 5, which could hurt the squad in the early going in this affair. The Thunder did manage to capture both of their games this year when playing with three or more days of rest.
Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook will receive a majority of the media's attention in this series, combining for 51.6 points per game, which placed them as the highest-scoring duo in the league during the regular season. The tandem averaged 48.7 points in four games against the Mavericks.
The Thunder won two of three versus the Lakers during the regular season but dropped a 114-106 double-overtime thriller as one-point r...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
