San Antonio vs LA Lakers NBA Lines Analysis
Posted by Eric Williams on Thursday,February 18, 2016 5:11, EDT in
The San Antonio Spurs are one of the top title contenders in the NBA this season and the team that many believe is the only one even remotely capable of beating the defending champion Golden State Warriors. The lowly Los Angeles Lakers are riding out Kobe Bryant’s final season while building toward a future they hope includes LSU’s gifted Ben Simmons. Now, let’s find out if the Spurs can cover what will almost assuredly be a double-digit NBA betting line when they visit their Western Conference rivals on Friday night.
How To Bet The San Antonio Spurs vs. L.A. Lakers NBA Odds & TV Info
When: Friday, February 19, 10:30 PM ET
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
TV: TSN1
Radio: WOAI 1200AM
TV Stream: TSN1
NBA Odds: TBA
Why Bet on The San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs (45-8 SU, 34-19 ATS) are far superior to the Lakers in every area imaginable and shouldn’t have any problems beating their rebuilding foes tonight seeing as how they’ve gone 17-8 on the road while L.A. has managed to go just 6-18 at home.
San Antonio could be a bit tired after playing the Clippers on Thursday night, but they won’t have to travel and they’re still far deeper than the young Lakers. The Spurs average 9.0 points per game more than the Lakers while simultaneously limiting their opponents to a whopping 15.7 fewer points per game, thanks first and foremost to Kawhi Leonard’s lock-down defense.
Why Bet on The Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers (11-44 SU, 26-29 ATS) lost their three final games before the all-star break, including their closer-than-expected 106-102 road loss to the Spurs on Feb. 6, though they easily covered the spread as a 12.5-point underdog.
L.A. won their previous two games, but more importantly, have been on fire when it comes to covering the spread, having gone 5-0 ATS in their last five games and 7-3 ATS over their last 10 games overall. Unfortunately, Kobe and company have managed to win just two of their last 10 games, so the reality is that they’re looking at an almost impossible task in trying to beat the superior Spurs.
Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction
The Spurs have been favored over the Lakers by 12.5 points or more in each of the last five meetings, but they’ve gone just 1-3-1 ATS over the stretch, making the Lakers a pretty attractive pick for this pairing. I know the Spurs are 5-1 ATS in their last six road games against a team with a losing home record and 12-3 ATS in their last 15 games playing on 0 days rest, but the Lakers are a perfect 4-0 ATS in their last four games against teams from the Southwest division and a bankroll-boosting 8-3 ATS in their last 11 home games versus a team with a winning road record.
Recent history says the Lakers will cover as double-digit home underdogs and I believe they will as well.
My final score prediction: Spurs 107 Lakers 97
