We don't always get what we want, but when it comes to these NBA playoffs, we do in at least one case.
Kobe Bryant and his Los Angeles Lakers take on Kevin Durant and his Oklahoma City Thunder in a Western Conference semifinals series that starts Monday night.
Sportsbook is listing OKC as a 7.5-point home favorite for Monday's series opener (9:30 pm Eastern, TNT), with an 'over/under' of 191.5.
Sportsbook is also offering the Thunder at -360 on its NBA betting moneyline, with LA getting +300 to win Game 1 outright.
Looking a little more long-term, Oklahoma City at -450 to win this series, with the Lakers getting +375 to, at least according to the odds, pull the upset.
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On the NBA futures market Sportsbook is listing Oklahoma City at +125 to win the Western Conference and +350 to win the NBA championship, while Los Angeles is getting +600 to win the West and +800 to win another league title.
Oklahoma City won the Northwest Division this season by going 47-19, earning the two seed in the West. The Thunder then reached this conference semifinals series by sweeping the defending NBA champion Dallas Mavericks out of the first round in four games, rallying from 13 points down in the fourth quarter to win Game 4.
On the other side of this matchup the Lakers won the Pacific Division again this season, going 41-25, and entered the playoffs as the three seed in the West.
LA then got stretched to seven games by the Denver Nuggets in their first-round series before prevailing in a hard-fought Game 7 Saturday by a score of 96-87.
Oklahoma City took the season series from the Lakers this year two games to one. And the Lakers needed overtime to get their only victory.
Two of those three games stayed 'under' on the totals, and the third game went 'over' only after the game went into overtime.
In personnel news the Lakers got back F “World Peace” Artest from suspension for their Game 7 against Denver, and he contributed on both ends of the court. He was suspended, as we recall, for throwing an elbow to the side of Oklahoma City G James Harden's head.
Game 2 will be played also in OKC Wednesday (9:30 pm Eastern, TNT), before the series moves to LA for Games 3 and 4 Friday and Saturday.
Thunder vs Lakers Prop - courtesy of Sportsbook:
Series Prices
Los Angeles Lakers (Series Prices) 13/4 (+325)
Oklahoma City Thunder (Series Prices) 2/9 (-450)
Exact Series Result
Oklahoma City Thunder 4-0 13/2
Oklahoma City Thunder 4-1 11/5
Oklahoma City Thunder 4-2 9/2
Oklahoma City Thunder 4-3 23/10
Los Angeles Lakers 4-0 35/1
Los Angeles Lakers 4-1 25/1
Los Angeles Lakers 4-2 15/2
Los Angeles Lakers 4-3 10/1
Total Games in Series
Over Games O 5½ 5/7 (-140)
Under Games U 5½ 11/10 (+110)
Total Games in Series
4 25/4
5 7/4
6 9/4
7 19/10
Series Game Spread
Oklahoma City Thunder -1½ 5/7 (-140)
Los Angeles Lakers +1½ 11/10 (+110)
Series Game Spread
Oklahoma City Thunder -2½ 27/20 (+135)
Los Angeles Lakers +2½ 20/33 (-165)
Where Will the Series be Decided?
Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City 10/17 (-170)
Staples Center, Los Angeles 7/5 (+140)
Player Props
Average 2nd Round Points Per Game - Kobe Bryant
Over/ Under 27½
Average 2nd Round Points Per Game - Andrew Bynum
Over/ Under 18
Average 2nd Round Rebounds Per Game - Andrew Bynum
Over/ Under 11½
Average 2nd Round Points Per Game - Pau Gasol
Over/ Under 16½
Average 2nd Round Rebounds Per Game - Pau Gasol
Over/ Under 9½
Average 2nd Round Points Per Game - Kevin Durant
Over/ Under 27½
Average 2nd Round Points Per Game - Russell Westbrook
Over/ Under 24
Average 2nd Round Assists Per Game - Russell Westbrook
Over/ Under 5½
Average 2nd Round Points Per Game - James Harden
Over/ Under 15½
Average 2nd Round Blocks Per Game - Serge Ibaka
Over/ Under 3½