Line: Oklahoma City -11.5, Total: 206.5

The Thunder (42-12 SU, 32-22 ATS) have had a great first half with the best record in the Western Conference, despite having Russell Westbrook for just 25 games. They are coming off a very nice win at Portland on Tuesday, 98-95, as 1-point favorites.

Kevin Durant (31.2 PPG) leads the NBA in scoring and continued his torrid pace with 36 last game. Team scoring the last three road games has slowed to 93.7 PPG, compared to 103.2 PPG away for the season. Durant will need scoring help from Serge Ibaka, Reggie Jackson and Jeremy Lamb to cover this spread on Thursday.

The Lakers (18-34 SU, 28-24 ATS) are completely decimated with Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Nick Young, Jodie Meeks and Xavier Henry all on the shelf. The offensive impotence has shown the last two games, home losses to Chicago (92-86 as 3-point dogs) and Utah (96-79 as 2-point favorites). Los Angeles is 0-4 ATS in its last four home games overall.

Handicapping tools: Stats, injuries, trends | OKC team page | LAL team page

There are more injury concerns at point guard. Steve Nash won't play because of nerve irritation, although Steve Blake expects to play through his elbow pain. Kendall Marshall (9.2 assists per game) can move back into the starting lineup in place of Nash, but there are not many guys left to pass to.

This is the second meeting between the Thunder and Lakers this year. Oklahoma City had an easy 122-97 home win in December as 12.5-point favorites. That went OVER the 211-point total.

The Don Best/Linemakers Power Ratings has Oklahoma City ranked tied for third in the NBA and 9 points better than Los Angeles on a neutral court.

Trends of note:

-- Los Angeles is 0-4 ATS in its last four home games.

-- The UNDER is 3-0 in Los Angeles’ last three games.

-- The OVER is 6-2 in the last eight games between the Thunder and Lakers.

The Linemakers’ lean: The Lakers have been surprisingly good against the spread despite all the injuries, but OKC has been even better. The Lakers’ injuries are just too much to overcome against the Thunder and the spread seems about right, so we’re passing on this game altogether.

More handicapping tools: ATS standings | Power ratings | Live odds

Daily fantasy basketball: Compete in DraftStreet’s $500K Championship

For more NBA lines, leans and betting trends, visit The Linemakers on Sporting News.