2018-2019 NBA Previews – Thunder Odds
Looking for 2018 Oklahoma City Thunder Predictions? We’ve got your back. OKC finished last season 48-34, finishing fourth in the NBA’s Western Conference. Unfortunately for fans in Oklahoma City, the fun experiment that was Paul George and Carmelo Anthony came crashing down when the team lost in the first round to the Utah Jazz.
Oklahoma City Thunder Season Preview
Head Coach: Billy Donovan
2017-18 Record: 48-34
Thunder Odds to NBA Title: +3000
Thunder Odds to Win Conference: +1500
Updated Sportsbook Bonuses For Today
Click here for ALL of our 2018 Team By Team NBA Season Previews
George is set to make his return, which is hugely welcomed by Thunder fanatics who thought he’d spurn them for the Los Angeles Lakers the second free agency began. Fans are likely also relieved that Carmelo, who was largely a negative last season, did spurn them for the Houston Rockets.
OKC has a relatively low floor for a contender, but it also has a very high ceiling. But when it’s all said and done, this season should be a better one than a year ago.
Oklahoma City Thunder Strengths:
The Thunder have two bona fide superstars in Paul George and Russell Westbrook. In today’s NBA, that’s a bare minimum for competing for a championship, which is why it was crucial that OKC re-sign George and not be stuck in purgatory (meaning somewhere between contending and fighting for a No. 1 draft pick).
Check out the free sports picks from Cappers Picks experts today!
On the court, Russell Westbrook isn’t always the easiest player to play with and doesn’t have the best reputation despite his other-world aggression and production. He’s often times considered a stat-sheet stuffer and someone who is too selfish to make his teammates better.
The truth, though, is that OKC wouldn’t get rid of him for anything less than a top-three player—and even then it’d be up for debate considering how loyal he’s been to the team and the fact that he’s a triple-double machine night in and night out.
With Russ leading the way, OKC is always going to compete for a spot in the playoffs. Add George to the equation and you have a team that will be in the running for home-court advantage in the first round of the postseason. But who is the piece who gets them into the official upper-echelon of the Western Conference?
Believe it or not, that man is Andre Roberson.
Roberson was lost for the year due to injury after 39 games in 2017-18 and the Thunder’s identity was never the same. The 26-year-old is a defensive presence on the perimeter that most squads need and every team fears.
Roberson likely won’t be back until December, but having him for the majority of the year will be a major reason this team succeeds late in the season.
Oklahoma City Thunder Weaknesses:
As much as Carmelo Anthony hurt this team on both ends of the floor (lazy defense and a propensity to slow down the offense with jab steps and isolation tendencies), he had one thing going for him: He was an easy choice as the No. 3 option.
Last season, Melo averaged 16.2 points per game, behind only Russ’ 25.4 and George’s 21.9. But his numbers dropped to just 11.8 points per night on an atrocious 37.5 percent shooting (21.4 percent from the three-point line), giving this team a small sample size of what it looks like without a true third option.
[dfads params=’groups=226&limit=1&return_javascript=1′]
The Thunder went on to lose that series, but the problem now isn’t about adjusting during a playoff matchup but how to establish a true third option—or third option by committee.
Check out the free NBA basketball picks from Cappers Picks experts today!
Although Steven Adams can be efficient around the rim, he’s never going to be someone you throw to in the block and let him isolate possession after possession after possession.
Jerami Grant has some offensive potential, but also won’t be someone you can count on to create for himself more than one possession in a row.
OKC doesn’t need a third 20-points-per-game scorer on its roster, but finding another reliable scorer will be necessary to compete with the likes of the Golden State Warriors.
Oklahoma City Thunder Betting Prediction: 54-28
The Thunder were pegged at 50.5 when Vegas released its over/under wins projections. That was third out West behind only the Golden State Warriors (62.5) and Houston Rockets (54.5), but reasonable minds could debate this team maybe even earning the No. 2 seed by the end of the regular season.
Put down OKC for the over.
2018 NBA Gambling
What do you think about our 2018 Oklahoma City Thunder predictions? Please leave us a comment below telling us how you think they’ll do in the 2018-2019 NBA Season!
The 2018 NBA futures betting season is here in full force! If you like to bet on NBA hoops, you are in the best possible place for online betting. CappersPicks.com has NBA odds up on a ton of futures, and you will also find weekly NBA basketball lines up for early games as well.
Check out our Updated NBA Betting Odds today! Click to view more 2018/19 NBA Predictions.