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The San Antonio Spurs (14-33) visit the Los Angeles Lakers (22-26) on Wednesday night. Action tips off at 10:40 p.m. ET. Below we continue our NBA odds series with a Spurs-Lakers prediction, pick, and how to watch.
San Antonio has lost two straight and eight of their last 10 and sits in 14th place in the Western. conference. The Spurs covered 49% of their games while 62% went over the projected point total. Los Angeles was throttled by their cross-town rivals last night and has dropped to 13th place in the West. The Lakers covered 47% of their games while 54% went over. This will be the fourth and final meeting between the two teams. LA has won each of the prior three matchups with two of those being decided by double-digits.
Here are the Spurs-Lakers NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Spurs-Lakers Odds
San Antonio Spurs:+7 (-112)
Los Angeles Lakers: -7 (-108)
Over: 243.5 (-110)
Under: 243.5 (-110)
How To Watch Spurs vs. Lakers
TV: Bally Southwest, Spectrum SN
Stream: NBA League Pass
Time: 10:30 p.m. ET/ 7:30 p.m. PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
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Why The Spurs Could Cover The Spread
San Antonio is one of the few teams firmly in “tank mode” as they hold one of the worst records in the NBA. That being said, the Spurs are no pushover – notably defeating the Nets last week before giving the Clippers a scare. San Antonio's biggest strength lies in the interior. The Spurs rank fifth in points in the paint (55.2 PPG). Despite their poor record, they continue to play traditional Spurs basketball with a heavy focus on ball movement as they rank third in assists (27.2 APG).
If the Spurs want to cover tonight as sizable underdogs, they'll need a big performance from forward Keldon Johnson. Johnson has been one of the lone bright spots on this San Antonio roster as he finds himself in the midst of a career year. The former first-round pick leads the team in scoring with 21.5 PPG. He's played particularly well of late as he's eclipsed 20 points in five of their last six games. Fellow forward Jeremy Sochan has followed suit in playing well recently. The ninth overall pick in last summer's draft has had an up-and-down year thus far but is coming on strong. Over his last four games, Sochan averaged 16.3 PPG and 6.0 RPG while shooting 56% from the floor and providing excellent defense.
Why The Lakers Could Cover The Spread
Despite losing to the Clippers last night the Lakers have an excellent chance to cover tonight against a team they've already beaten three times this season. LA features a potent offense that ranks fifth in scoring (117.1 PPG) and sixth in field goal percentage (48%). They do a great job running in transition, ranking fourth in fast break scoring (16.9 PPG). The Lakers are truly dominant down low, ranking second in points in the paint (56.6 PPG) – somewhere they'll likely emphasize against San Antonio's last-ranked interior defense.
LA will get a huge boost tonight as they welcome Anthony Davis back from injury. Davis is expected to make his return to the court after missing 20 games. Although the Lakers managed a 10-10 record without him, they'll be glad to have their star big man back in the lineup, albeit on a minutes restriction. Prior to his injury, Davis was in the midst of one of the best seasons of his career. He averaged 27.4 PPG and 12.1 RPG while shooting 59% from the floor. While his offense was sorely missed, it is his defense that could prove most critical tonight. Known as one of the most fearsome interior defenders in the league, Davis' 2.1 blocks per game could be a major factor in their ability to cover a hefty home spread tonight.
While Davis' return may steal all the headlines, the Lakers will be additionally bolstered by the debut of Rui Hachimura. Hachimura was acquired from the Wizards earlier this week and should provide a spark to a thin Lakers roster. Prior to the trade, the former top-10 pick had averaged 13 PPG for the Wizards this season. A career 36% three-point shooter, Rui will look to provide some outside shooting to a Lakers team that ranks 26th in three-point efficiency. While his career has been up and down thus far, he ended his tenure in Washington with one of the best games of his career. Hachimura drained three threes en route to 30 points against the Magic last weekend and will likely see a sizable offensive workload going forward.
Final Spurs-Lakers Prediction & Pick
With Davis back and Hachimura making his debut, I like the Lakers to put on a show tonight and blow the tanking Spurs out of the building.
Final Spurs-Lakers Prediction & Pick: Los Angeles Lakers -7 (-108)
