The OKC Thunder will play their fourth game of the season tonight as hosts to the LA Clippers. It’s the first of two consecutive games the clubs will play this week in OKC. It’s a new scheduling tweak the NBA is employing that came about during the pandemic.
The NBA adopted this method, similar to how Major League Baseball schedules games with a series of games played in the same market. The appeal for the NBA came about for health and cost efficiencies.
The former is because research has proven travel impacts healing and recovery while the latter is obvious – flying to a market once instead of twice.
OKC Thunder vs LA Clippers Odds, Spread, Over/Under
The latest odds from Odds Shark have the Clippers favored by 10 points with an over/under of 225.5. The money line is set at -469 for the Clippers and +380 for the Thunder.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Thunder Starting Lineup:
This process isn’t as obvious given the players who are out include several members of the OKC Thunder core. Mark Daigneault could base his selections on matchups or a desire to try out certain players in different roles or the chemistry of specific lineups.
If coach ran back the same group that started Sunday, then Aaron Wiggins might get the nod to replace the injured. The problem is height!
Lu Dort and Tre Mann are 6’3, Kenrich Williams
and Wiggins are 6’6 and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl is 6’9. That’s an UBER SMALL lineup so for that reason, I’m wondering if Daigneault will opt to go with Ousmane Dieng (or maybe Poku) as a starter instead of Wiggins.
Anyway, don’t bet anything important on it but my guess is…
- Tre Mann
- Luguentz Dort
- Kenrich Williams
- Ousmane Dieng (or Aleksej Pokusevski)
- Jeremiah Robinson-Earl
Thunder Injury Report
Although the inevitable tank injuries will come that’s not where we’re at yet. The fact Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (hip) and Josh Giddey (ankle) are both out is simply bad luck not strategy.
Nor is it ideal that Jalen Williams (orbital bone fracture) remains out keeping Chet Holmgren (foot) company as he watches all the games this season.
As for the Clippers, Paul George won’t play due to an illness and Marcus Morris Sr. is questionable dealing with a personal matter.
OKC Thunder vs. LA Clippers Prediction
Ty Lue has the unquestioned deepest roster in the league. While most coaches struggle to run eight or nine deep Lue has more than two lineups worth of starting-caliber players.
There are several reasons behind that reality. The first is economical – – owner Steve Ballmer is committed to winning and therefore has no issue paying the luxury tax for that depth.
The second is logistics — with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, both having missed significant time due to injury GM Lawrence Frank has made sure to provide Ty Lue with enough depth so he can still put out a starting caliber rotation if neither of his stars is available.
And then there are the chronological reasons – the Clippers possess the second oldest roster by average age in the association. In contrast – the OKC Thunder have the youngest roster.
Although that wealth of talent is a bonus few teams can afford it comes with its own set of challenges. It takes a certain type of player to be open to a revolving role. Any of the players not named Leonard or Paul could rotate from primary scorer to bench player with limited touches to DNP CD over the course of three games.
Not only does an individual have to keep an open mind for that role they also have to be able to adapt to the fluctuating shot attempts and still try to maintain efficiency.
The latter might speak to why the Clippers’ offense is ranked 29th which is three spots lower than the Thunder!
If the teams stay true to that dynamic this could be a low-scoring game especially since SGA and Paul are both out. Although the fact neither team has exploded offensively could result in the polar opposite with both having hot shooting nights.
Clippers 117, Thunder 113
What channel is the Thunder-Clippers game on?
Per usual the game will be broadcast on Bally Sports Oklahoma or NBA League Pass. Tip-Off is set for 8:00 p.m. EST (7:00 CT) from the Paycom Center, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
OKC Thunder vs. Clippers Timberwolves Live Stream
If you need a live stream of the event, check out FuboTV for a free trial!
Thunder Next Game and Schedule
Per above the Thunder will play the Clippers in consecutive games with the next match on Thursday. They’ll finish the week back on the road heading to Dallas to play the Mavericks on Saturday, October 29th.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.