The Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Lakers headline a day full of NBA Cup action.
The pregame narrative: The Thunder are a strong defensive team but can struggle to rebound. That’s why I am taking LeBron James to go over his rebound prop. I’m also interested in a pick on Isaiah Hartenstein.
Check out my Thunder vs. Lakers prop picks for Nov. 29.
Thunder vs. Lakers prop picks
Go to full NBA betting markets
Best Bet: LeBron over 7.5 rebounds (-130)
Since the Thunder are such a good defensive team (No. 1 in defensive rating), I would rather resort to a rebounds prop than a points prop for LeBron.
Plus, LeBron is one of only a few Lakers who can rebound efficiently.
Los Angeles grabs the third-fewest rebounds per game (40.1), but that hasn’t been James’ fault. He’s cleared this line in seven of the last 10 games.
Additionally, OKC isn’t a great rebounding team either, recording the 10th-fewest per game (42.8).
Both teams play at a high pace, which means there should be plenty of opportunities for LeBron to rebound.
Key stat: James is averaging 9.3 boards in his past 10 games.
Quick pick
Hartenstein over 10.5 rebounds (-132): This is a play for the hardcore ball fans, but I love it.
Hartenstein showed what he could for the Knicks in the playoffs last season and now steps into a starting role for the West’s best team while Chet Holmgren is sidelined.
Let’s look at his stats since making his season debut last week:
- Nov. 20 vs. Trailblazers: 28 minutes, 14 rebounds
- Nov. 25 vs. Kings: 31 minutes, 10 rebounds
- Nov. 27 vs. Warriors: 30 minutes, 14 rebounds
The Thunder will continue to lean on Hartenstein until Holmgren returns and I can’t say I blame them.
Fans may remember the lineup OKC used before Hartenstein was available, which included five starters below the height of 6-foot-7.
And as mentioned before, the Lakers struggle to rebound. They allow the third-most boards per game (16.8) to opposing centres.
Hartenstein is the only true big on the Thunder right now and I believe he can compete with Anthony Davis around the basket.
Picks made at 9:31 a.m. ET 11/29/2024.
Spencer is a true sports junkie. A graduate of the Sports Journalism program at Centennial College, he first joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2023. He is now a contributing writer. He loves finding the edge to bet on in all sports but has a deep passion for the NBA and UFC. Previous stops include Sportsnet.