Check out our free Thunder vs Nets pick and preview for this NBA game in Brooklyn. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this NBA matchup.
Thunder vs Nets NBA Pick & Preview
- Sport: NBA
- Teams: Oklahoma City Thunder at Brooklyn Nets
- Where: Brooklyn at Barclays Center
- Date: Sunday, January 15th
- Betting Odds BKN -5.5, OKC +178 | BKN -217 O/U 229.0
So far, the Thunder have put together an overall record of 20-23, while going 27-16-0 vs the spread. Against the Nets, the Thunder are looking to add to their current 2 game winning streak. Team has an average scoring margin of 16.5 in these matchups.
Oklahoma City is going for yet another win, as they previously defeated the Bulls. With the 124-110 victory, they also covered the spread as 4 point underdogs. Oklahoma City was able to take care of business in the second half of this game, as they didn’t allow the Bulls to cut into their 14 point halftime lead. Leading the team in scoring was Josh Giddey, as he contributed 25 points while hitting 61.1% of his shots.
So far, the Nets have put together an overall record of 27-14, while going 20-20-1 vs the spread. In their previous 3 games, the Nets are averaging 102 points per game while allowing 104. This has led to a record of 2-1.
Brooklyn is trying to bounce back from a 109-98 loss to the Celtics. Going into this game, the team was 1 point underdogs on the spread, giving them an ATS loss. Brooklyn was not able to turn things around in the 2nd half, as they trailed the Celtics by 11 going into halftime. Leading the team in scoring was Kyrie Irving, as he contributed 24 points while hitting 37.5% of his shots.
Head To Head Recap & Stats
Last year, the Thunder and Nets played to a series split, with each team winning on the road. Between the two teams, they combined to average 233.0 points per contest. In last year’s head-to-head meetings, the Thunder averaged 113.0 points per game vs Brooklyn, which was an increase over their season-long average. While the Thunder saw a boost in scoring, the Nets averaged 114.5 points per contest in head-to-head meeting vs Oklahoma City. This figure was similar to season-long average. Spanning across the last 5 head-to-head matchups, the Thunder and Nets have been competitive, with an average margin of victory sitting at just -1 points per game. This has resulted in a 3-2 ATS record for Oklahoma City. Over the course of these games, they averaged 237 points per game, leading a 4-1 over-under record.
Odds & Free Betting Analysis For This NBA Game
The Thunder come into today’s game as one of the better scoring teams in the NBA at 116.9 points per game (8th). When looking at the Thunder pace of play, they tend to play an up-tempo style of basketball. So far, the team is in the upper half of the NBA in possessions per game, averaging 102.3. Thus far, the team’s faced paced style of play has helped their overall numbers, as they are currently the 4th team in made field goals per contest.
Against the Nets, the Thunder will need a stronger defensive effort as they are ranked just 15th in points allowed.
On offense, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads the Thunder in scoring at 30.7 points per game, placing him 4th in the NBA. Overall, Gilgeous-Alexander has hit 50.4% of his shots while accounting for 21.8% of the team’s looks from the field. In today’s game, he will be working against a defensive unit that is 4th in points allowed to point-guards. At 15.7 points per game, Josh Giddey is the 2nd leading scorer for the Thunder. For the season, he is 126th in the league in player efficiency rating, while posting a field goal percentage of 47.6%.
This season, the Brooklyn offense has had their problems scoring the ball as they are a below average unit at 114.2 points per game. When looking at the team’s pace of play, the Nets are currently below the league average in possessions per game, averaging just 97.9 per contest. Even though the Nets are one of the more efficient 3-point shooting teams in the NBA at 39.2%, their slower-style of play may be holding back the team’s offense from fully taking off.
Against the Thunder, the Nets will need a stronger defensive effort as they are ranked just 18th in points allowed.
Without Kevin Durant, Brooklyn will need Kyrie Irving to step up and put together a strong scoring performance against the Oklahoma City today. This season, Durant leads the team in scoring with 29.7 points per game. Irving is the team’s 2nd leading scorer with 26.0 points per game, which places him 18.0th in the NBA. In his 31 games, he has hit 48.4% of his field goal attempts and is averaging 4.8 rebounds per game.
Thunder vs Nets Pick
- Free Spread Prediction: Thunder +5.5
- Free Total Prediction: Under 229.0
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