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PrintShortly after the Los Angeles Lakers escaped with a 99-98 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday, Kobe Bryant was asked about tonight’s matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder and the challenge of defeating them on the road.
“Let’s get it on,” Bryant told a reporter.
Las Vegas bettors wagering on Lakers “make-or-miss” playoff odds already have.
Before the weekend, the LVH Superbook priced the Lakers at -130 to make the playoffs. Since then, they’ve taken a “bunch of money” on them to miss, according to oddsmaker Jeff Sherman.
Courtesy of Twitter:
The timing shouldn’t be considered a surprise.
The Lakers are projected 8.5-point road underdogs against the Thunder and have struggled on the road all season, posting a 10-19 record overall. They’ve won just two games outright as a road dog, most recently against the Dallas Mavericks on Feb. 24.
A loss would put L.A. 2.5 games back of Utah and 3 games back of Houston for the eighth and final playoff spot. Neither the Jazz nor Rockets play on Tuesday, meaning there’s a decent chance the “No” odds will shift even higher by Wednesday morning.
The Lakers have 22 games to make up the deficit.
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NBA Tuesday, featuring Lakers-Thunder, courtesy of DonBest Sports:
