Spurs vs. Lakers Point Spread: NBA Odds, Prediction
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Andrew Rogers
The LeBron James-led Lake Show has 12 wins in its past 16 games to remain within shouting distance of top spot in the Western Conference. The Spurs are at the other end of the spectrum, sitting second-last in the conference.
NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Do not adjust your eyes: This is, in fact, the first time in more than 7 ½ years that the Lakers go into a game with San Antonio favoured by eight or more points. And given both teams’ recent cover trends, bettors should consider giving the points to the visitors. The Lakers are a red-hot 15-5 ATS in their past 20 games following a double-digit SU win, while San Antonio has covered just six of its previous 23 road contests dating back to last season.
The game total of 223 points could be a difficult number to navigate given the disparate trends between the teams. The Lakers have converted the under nine times with one push in their last 11 home games, and are 5-0 to the under in their last five following a straight-up win. The Spurs, on the other hand, are 6-0 to the over in their past six against Western Conference foes and have gone 9-1-1 O/U in their previous 11 games overall.
San Antonio Spurs
There were two areas in which the Spurs were expected to struggle coming into the season: beyond the 3-point line, and on defence. The good news: San Antonio is averaging the second-best success rate from deep (38.4 percent), though its 24.3 attempts per game rank second-last. The bad: The Spurs are allowing opponents to shoot a league-high 48.6 percent from the field, a big reason for their 113.4 points surrendered per game (24th).
Los Angeles Lakers
For the Lakers to succeed beyond the regular season and into the playoffs, two things need to happen: LeBron must find time during the campaign to rest, and the supporting cast will have to step up. The first step is happening in earnest, with LeBron having played 31 or fewer minutes in three of L.A.’s previous four games. That stretch has moved the Lakers superstar down to 17th in the league in average minutes per game at 34.7.
