Christmas Day continues in the NBA as we're set to bring you another betting prediction and pick for the upcoming slate. The San Antonio Spurs (22-7) will visit the Oklahoma City Thunder (26-4) as the two squads meet to continue the newest budding rivalry in the Western Conference. Check our NBA Christmas Day odds series for the Carolina-Montague prediction and pick.
The San Antonio Spurs are second in the West after beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 130-110 in their last game. The Spurs are now 2-0 against the best team in the NBA and have shortened their lead in the Western Conference to just 3.5 games, looking to add another win here as underdogs.
The Oklahoma City Thunder still lead the West following their most recent loss to the Spurs. While they've suffered three losses over their last five games, the Thunder are still 14-0 at home this season and will be motivated to earn their first win over the Spurs at home on Christmas Day.
NBA odds courtesy of DraftKings
Spurs vs. Thunder Christmas Day Odds
San Antonio Spurs: +9.5 (-118)
Oklahoma City Thunder: -9.5 (-102)
Over: 234.5 (-105)
Under: 234.5 (-115)
Spurs vs. Thunder Key Injuries
San Antonio: None to report
Oklahoma City: Ousmane Dieng, OUT (calf) / Ajay Mitchell, OUT (concussion) / Thomas Sorber, OUT (ACL) / Jaylin Williams, OUT (heel)
Spurs vs. Thunder Betting Trends
- The Oklahoma City Thunder are 14-1 at home. The San Antonio Spurs are 11-6 on the road.
- The Thunder have been betting favorites in each of their games this season.
- The Spurs are 8-4 as underdogs.
- The Thunder are 16-14 ATS overall, 9-6 ATS at home. The Spurs are 17-13 ATS overall, 7-10 ATS at home.
- The Spurs are 2-1 outright, 2-1 ATS in their last three games against the Thunder.
- The Spurs are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games.
- The Thunder are 6-3 ATS in their last nine games.
- The Spurs are 4-1 ATS in their last five games against the Thunder.
Keys to Spurs vs. Thunder Matchup
The San Antonio Spurs shocked the world once again, this time making a massive statement and pulling away during the fourth quarter to win by 20 points in the first meeting. It was the worst loss of the season for the Thunder as they saw multiple scoring droughts late in the third quarter and throughout the fourth. Much of this is due to the dominant defensive presence of Spurs' Victor Wembanyama in the paint, completely disrupting OKC's style of play and making this rivalry all the more interesting.
Much of Oklahoma City's success is predicated by their activity around the rim, working as one of the better mid-range teams in the NBA along with driving to the hoop. The rim protection of Wembanyama is imposing enough without having to draw fouls, an aspect that the Thunder have heavily relied on in the past to win games. Couple their interior defense with the strong perimeter defense of De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle and this Spurs team seems like the perfect defensive matchup to stop the Thunder during a four-game series.
Still, Oklahoma City can't be handling these losses well and the defending NBA champs will be motivated as ever to earn back a win at home. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging over 30 PPG against the Spurs this season, so we can expect much of the same from him in terms of the scoring. Isaiah Hartenstein made a big impact with 12 rebounds in his return to action, but both him and Chet Holmgren didn't offer much help in scoring around the rim and forcing Wembanyama into foul trouble.
Jalen Williams is a massively important player during this matchup as he's often served as OKC's spark plug with his scoring in bunches. We've seen him heat up from three numerous times throughout last season and he's one of those players that feeds off the energy of the crowd. Given the electric Christmas Day atmosphere, a player like Williams should flourish in that environment and help elevate his team to a win.
Spurs vs. Thunder Prediction and Pick
We're getting back-to-back installments of the hottest rivalry in the NBA and the defending champions have to be stunned to be down 2-0 in this series. I expect a much better game out of the Thunder in shooting the ball and their success at home has been undeniable. While we've sided with the Spurs in the previous two meetings, the Thunder will be motivated to put forth a much better performance this time around. I expect their trends to continue at home as they finally manage to cover the spread against this Spurs' team.
Final Spurs-Thunder Christmas Day Prediction & Pick: Oklahoma City Thunder -9.5 (-102); OVER 234.5 (-105)
