Lebron and the Lakers opened as two-point underdogs in San Antonio but action on the Lake Show has flipped the line to -2 for Los Angeles. The Spurs won the first meeting of the season between these traditional Western Conference powerhouses on Monday at Staples Center, 143-142. The Sportsbook total for tonight’s game is 230.
- The total has gone OVER in 10 of LA’s last 12 games when playing San Antonio.
- San Antonio is 11-3 ATS in its last 14 games at home.
- The Lakers have the second-highest scoring offense in the league (125.6 ppg).
Lakers Shooting 50% from the Floor
A really good way to find yourself as the second-highest scoring team in the league is to shoot 50% from the floor. LeBron James brings a lot of elements to a team, but one of the biggest is that he commands extra attention from defenses.
This opens guys up and early on JaVale McGee has been a huge beneficiary. McGee has been able to convert 62.7% of field goal attempts. Ditto for PF Kyle Kuzma who is over 20 points per game in 32.6 minutes per game.
Spurs Are 12th in Points Per Game
Gregg Popovich’s Spurs are above the league average with 114 points per game but were held to just 97 in an upset loss to the Pacers on Wednesday. San Antonio is second in the league in offensive rebounding, and while it’s good to get those rebounds it means that they’re missing a lot of shots.
The Spurs are 44.3% from the floor (18th) and shot a putrid 40% vs Indiana last time out. However, the Pacers are the second-ranked team in the NBA in opponent scoring – the Lakers are dead last at 124.4 [points per game.
My Pick for Tonight
Betting the spread could be tricky in this game so I’m going to avoid it altogether. I’m going to bet OVER 230 total points and stay with the trends for the Lakers early this year, the matchup trend and the fact that they played to 285 points earlier this week.
