Brooklyn Nets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Pick

Brooklyn Nets (36-33 SU, 37-32 ATS) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (41-26 SU, 35-32 ATS)
When: Wednesday, March 13, 2019 – 7 p.m. ET
Where: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
TV: ESPN
By: Matt Lowry, NBA Handicapper, Predictem.com

Point Spread: OKC -7.5 (MyBookie Sportsbook)

Last Time Out: Brooklyn beat Detroit 103-75; Oklahoma City beat Utah 98-89

Scouting the Nets:

The Nets have been a big surprise this year in terms of having a winning record and are now a legitimate playoff contender. Many believed the Nets would have another losing season as they are still in the process of rebuilding. However, with some of their young talent stepping up, they are now well within the playoff picture. As it stands right now, the Nets are the 6th seed in the East and enter this game on a 4-game winning streak. The Nets most recently destroyed the Pistons, which is the reason why they have moved up in the standings. The Nets do need to be careful though as they are only 3.5 games in front of the 8th-seeded Miami Heat and cannot afford to slow down with the season ending very soon.

Scouting the Thunder:

The Thunder will finally return home after having played their last four games on the road. On this most recent road trip, the Thunder went 2-2 and continue to hold down the 4th seed in the West. Coming off a win in Utah where Westbrook was involved in an altercation with a fan, the Thunder are sure to get a warm reception, but will be heading back out on the road after this one game home stand. Also, with only about 14 games remaining, the Thunder will need all the wins they can get, including one versus the Warriors on Saturday, if they want to ensure a first-round matchup will come through Oklahoma City.

Head to Head:

With this being a cross-conference game, the Thunder and Nets have only met one other time this season. This game was way back on December 5th and was played in Brooklyn. The Thunder ended up winning this game 114-112, making them 2-0 straight up in the last two meetings. For whatever reason, the Nets have played Oklahoma City extremely well in recent years, with the last three meetings being decided by a total of 8 points.

Betting Trends to Consider:

The most interesting betting trend between these two teams is that Brooklyn has been able to cover in most of their recent meetings with the Thunder. Going back to 2014, the Nets have covered in 7 of the last 10 games. Furthermore, when they have played on the road in Oklahoma City, they have covered in 3 of the last 4. Another trend to look at is both teams will have only had 1 day of rest between their last game and this upcoming game. Trends show that Brooklyn is 24-19 against the spread and Oklahoma City is 20-19 against the spread in games after having just one day to recuperate.

NCAA Pick: Notre Dame vs Louisville

Brooklyn will Cover if:

They can continue to have balanced scoring from their starters and their bench. Their most recent game shows that the Nets are trying to get everyone involved every time they touch the court. All five starters were able to score in double-digits against the Pistons, and their leading scorer was Spencer Dinwiddie. Speaking of Dinwiddie, the man has been an amazing role player this season and is averaging 17.4 points per game. The crazy part is, because the Nets already have a solid backcourt, Dinwiddie primarily comes off the bench and is in consideration for the “6th man” of the year. If the Nets can have another game with multiple guys scoring in double-figures, it will almost certainly give them a chance to keep this game extremely close.

Oklahoma City will Cover if:

Russell Westbrook and Paul George can carry. Both Westbrook and George struggled shooting from the field in the Thunder’s last game. Westbrook did end the game with 23 points but shooting 9 for 19 is not like himself, so look for him to bounce back. As for Paul George, he shot just 2 for 8 from the field and 10 of his 14 points came from the free throw line. These two guys must shoot better like they are known for or it will tough for them to keep up with the Nets offense.

Matt’s Pick to Cover the Spread:

While it is true that Oklahoma City has the better overall roster, Brooklyn has found ways to give the Thunder a scare in multiple games. MyBookie sportsbook has the Thunder as a 7.5 point favorite. Because of the balanced offense Brooklyn has shown this year, they will manage to cover on the road in Oklahoma City.

Matt’s NBA Pick: Brooklyn Nets