Spurs vs Lakers Betting Line
The top seed for the NBA’s Western Conference playoffs is not really in doubt, unless you’re an ardent Lakers fan who believes they can overcome San Antonio’s eight game lead before season’s end. The Spurs (51-11) are in charge in the west and have won 50 games or more for 12 straight years. Sunday will mark the Lakers (44-19) last stand in San Antonio if they have dreams of home court advantage this season. San Antonio plays host to Los Angeles at the AT& T Center with tip-off set for 3:30 pm EST, televised on ABC.
San Antonio Spurs vs Los Angeles Lakers Preview
LA Lakers
The NBA beat writers talk about statement games in a season. For the Lakers, Kobe Bryant and his teammates must make a statement that they’re here to win their third NBA Championship in a row. Los Angeles has been hot since the All Star break going 6-0, but are heading on a four game road trip. Bryant has been much better distributing the ball of late, averaging over five assists per game in the home team’s streak.
Center Andrew Bynum and power forward Paul Gasol are playing their best basketball of the season. Bynum averages 11.4 points and 7.7 rebounds to go with 18.6 points and 10.5 rebounds from Gasol. Of late, the Lakers appear to be gelling again. Their defensive presence inside is critical to the Lakers success and attack. With Gasol and Bynum altering shots, rebounding, and finding Bryant & point guard Derek Fisher, the Lakers can run.
Super-sub Lamar Odom is excellent at finishing on the break and can hit an outside shot as well. Ron Artest is the defensive stopper and since the trade deadline has past, he seems to be content with his role. Coach Phil Jackson has the Lakers in harmony making them still the team to beat in the West.
San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio was the first team to 40 wins and the first team to 50 wins. They’re the best team in the league and everyone else has been scrambling to match them this year. They are 4-1 since the break with wins over Cleveland, Memphis, New Jersey and Oklahoma City.
The Spurs offense is led by Manu Ginobili who scores 19 points a game. He’s healthy, and if he stays that way San Antonio can contend for the NBA Championship. Power forward/center Tim Duncan is quietly consistent with his offense and has always been solid defensively. Point guard Tony Parker no longer needs to play a full game at 100% as he gets help from George Hill who adds 11.3 points and almost three assists in his time.
Richard Jefferson connects for 12.3 points per game and Antonio McDyess pulls down five boards a game in his almost 18 minutes each night. Depth and speed give the Spurs their best opportunity to reclaim a championship since 2006-7.
The Lakers are hot and the Spurs are the best in the league right now. Sunday is likely to be a Western Finals preview. Can the Lakers keep the fire burning? Champions must be beaten and LA makes the statement Sunday with a big six point win.
After back-to-back home losses to Sacramento and Boston, then a win over Houston, the Los Angeles Lakers (34-15) play host to the San Antonio Spurs (40-8) on Thursday night. Fans at the Staples Center may be treated to a preview of the Western Conference finals as the Spurs look sure to make it, while the Lakers are a work in progress. Being at home, the Lakers are favored in this game. The latest betting lines are listed below.
Latest Spurs vs Lakers Online Sportsbook Betting Odds
These are the latest NBA betting lines from a few of our favorite online sportsbooks. Bodog.com and BetUS.com are the best choices for U.S. bettors right now, because they’re able to accept Visa for deposits. If you’re outside the United States, you can use Visa at any of the sportsbooks listed below.
As you can see, the over/under is the same everywhere, but some variation on the point spread and money line can be found.
| Sportsbook | Point Spread | Money Line | Over/Under |
| BetUS.com | Spurs +3.5 (-110)
Lakers -3.5 (-110) |
Spurs +145
Lakers -165 |
195 (-110) |
| Bodog.com | Spurs +3 (-105) Lakers -3 (-115) |
Spurs +135 | 195 (-110) |
| BetOnline.com | Spurs +3.5 (-110) Lakers -3.5 (-110) |
Spurs +140
Lakers -160 |
195 (-110) |
| Bookmaker.com | Spurs +3 (-110) Lakers -3 (-110) |
Spurs +135
Lakers -155 |
195 (-110) |
San Antonio Spurs vs LA Lakers NBA Preview
San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio was the first team to 40 wins and has a six and a half game lead on LA for the best record in the Western Conference. They are 8-2 in their last ten games and won three in a row (vs Houston, Utah and Golden State) before a loss against Portland on Tuesday. The Spurs lost only three times in January. Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker are the leaders in scoring rebounds and assists, but the role players have been just as important.
Richard Jefferson adds 12.3 points a game and George Hill backs up Parker with 11.3 points and 2.2 assists a contest. Antonio McDyess grabs five boards a game in his 17.5 minutes. This overall depth at all positions has given opponents fits the entire season. The New Orleans Hornets are the only team to beat San Antonio twice this year and the Spurs already own a 16 point win over LA in December.
Los Angeles Lakers
For the Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant has been shouldering the burden, but when he hits for 40+ points or more, the Lakers lose. It’s happened twice this season. Last Sunday, against Boston the Lakers got blown out by the Celtics at home and Phil Jackson & company have reason to be concerned. Kobe got 41 but the team surrendered 109 points defensively.
Los Angeles’ physical and mental preparation has been inconsistent this season and the Lakers are being pressed for the second spot in the conference. Dallas trails LA by half a game, and Oklahoma City & New Orleans are only 2.5 & 3 games back respectively. The Lakers could easily fall to fifth in the West and have to defend their back-to-back titles without home court advantage.
Pau Gasol has had an up and down season. Lamar Odom has been steady and at times exceptional. His defense gets overlooked by most pundits but not by opponents. Ron Artest’s offensive contributions are slim as are those from Derek Fisher. The team’s biggest concerns are the knees of center Andrew Bynum who has missed 24 games so far this season. Even when he does play, he sees only about 25 minutes a game.
The Lakers have been in a slump and the Spurs are rolling. Even if the Lakers win, they have to cover 3 to 3.5 points. I see the Lakers losing this game, or winning by less than 3. I’m taking the Spurs +3.5 (-110) at BetUS.com.
