The San Antonio Spurs won't have Kobe Bryant to worry about as they take on the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of their first-round NBA playoff series at home on Sunday afternoon.
San Antonio has managed to win four of its last five games against Los Angeles, although the Lakers did upset them 91-86 as a 3-point underdog when they last met on April 14. Each of the last three Lakers vs. Spurs matchups have been UNDER results.
The Lakers snuck into the playoffs and grabbed the 7-seed, but with no Bryant, are they sweep candidates against the 2-seeded San Antonio Spurs?
Los Angeles was a 9-point underdog in Game 1 of this Western playoff series and the Spurs are dealing with injuries of their own. The Spurs are big favorites to win the series as well at most sportsbooks.
(Note: follow us on Twitter for line updates and injuries news). The Spurs are 58-24 so far on the season, and 39-41-2 ATS vs. the number. The Lakers, meanwhile, are 45-37 and 34-47-1 ATS. OVER/UNDER bettors have seen San Antonio go 36-45-1 and the Lakers go 44-37-1 on the totals.
View LA Lakers vs San Antonio Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
Bettors looking to side with the Spurs in this one found them as 8.5-point favorites earlier at Sportsbook, while the total had been sitting in the area of 196 at Sportsbook.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
This game matches up the No. 3 (Spurs) and the No. 11 (Lakers) teams in the league, according to our current NBA Power Rankings at Odds Shark. A 107-102 result in favor of the Spurs is predicted by handicapping models.
How They Match Up:
In rebounding, the battle of the boards features San Antonio's No. 21-rated squad against Los Angeles's No. 4-rated roster. When it comes to long-range shooting, San Antonio rates No. 7 in the league with 8.1 per game, while their foes tonight rank No. 4 with 8.7 per outing.
In comparing how the teams stack up statistically, the Lakers own the league's No. 28-rated mark, allowing 104.7 points per game when playing on the road. San Antonio, on the other hand, rates No. 5 in scoring on their home court.
Los Angeles was a 99-95 Sportsbook in its last match at home against the Rockets. They covered the 1.5-point spread as underdogs, while the total score of 194 sent UNDER bettors to the payout window. Los Angeles got 24 points from Steve Blake en route to a 99-95 victory over Houston on Wednesday at STAPLES Center.
San Antonio lost its last outing, a 108-95 result against the Timberwolves on April 17. The Spurs failed to cover in that game as a 9.5-point favorite, while the 203 combined points took the game OVER the total. The Spurs got 17 points from Tim Duncan, but it was Minnesota that prevailed in a 108-95 final on Wednesday at AT&T Center.
Los Angeles Lakers Trends:
When playing on Sunday are 4-6
Before playing San Antonio are 7-3
After playing Houston are 5-5
After a win are 7-3
San Antonio Spurs Trends:
When playing on Sunday are 8-2
Before playing LA Lakers are 7-3
After playing Minnesota are 7-3
After a loss are 7-3
A few Lakers at Spurs trends to consider:
LA Lakers are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of the LA Lakers last 7 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
The total has gone OVER in 5 of the LA Lakers last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of the LA Lakers last 14 games when playing San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of San Antonio's last 7 games when playing at home against LA Lakers
San Antonio is 21-4 SU in its last 25 games at home
San Antonio is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing LA Lakers
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of San Antonio's last 14 games when playing LA Lakers
Next up:
LA Lakers at San Antonio, Wednesday, April 24
San Antonio home to LA Lakers, Wednesday, April 24
