NBA Handicapping Predictions – Lakers vs Spurs
The Lakers and Spurs have split the 2 games they have played this season with San Antonio embarrassing the Lakers in the last match up.
Venue/ Stadium: AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX
Time/Date: 9:30 PM EST Friday, April 20, 2012
NCAA Odds From: Bovada
Moneyline: OFF
Spread (ATS): Spurs -6.5
Over/Under: 202.5
L.A. Lakers vs. San Antonio Spurs Preview
However, both of those games were without Kobe Bryant on the court and he will be in the lineup tonight after missing 7 games with a shin injury. NBA lines have the Spurs as 6.5-point favorites with a total of 202.5.
In their last games the Lakers beat the Golden State Warriors 99-87 and the Spurs beat the Sacramento Kings 127-102.
This season the Spurs are 38-20-3 ATS with an O/U record of 35-26 and the Lakers are 27-36 ATS with an O/U record of 34-28-1.
The Spurs are red-hot winners of 5 straight games and they have a slim 1/2 game lead over the Thunder for the top spot in the Western Conference. The Lakers are in the 3rd spot with a 1-game lead over the Clippers in the West as well as in the Pacific Division.
The Lakers were 5-2 without the Black Mamba and they won because the 7 foot duo of Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol stepped up their play. Bynum was a beast averaging 23.1 ppg and 14.1 rpg in 7 games without Bryant and with the win over the Spurs on April 11th he pulled down 30 boards. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
The Spurs have lost their last 2 games against the Lakers in San Antonio.
Tim Duncan was given the night off in the win over the Kings and he will be key in this game. His scoring and rebounding is vital and he will need help on the glass facing Gasol and Bynum.
Ramon Sessions has played well since coming over the Lakers before the trade deadline and his defense on Tony Parker will be important tonight. Sessions must keep Parker from having a big scoring game and getting in the lane and dishing out many dimes.
The Lakers must step up on defense tonight facing a Spurs’ offense that is clicking and averaging 114.2 ppg in their 5-game winning streak.
In some betting trends for this Western Conference match up the Lakers are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games as a road underdog, 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall, and they have an Over record of 9-3 in their last 12 road games.
The Spurs are 21-8-2 ATS in their last 31 home games, 15-4-2 ATS in their last 21 home games vs. a team with a losing road record, and they have an Over record of 4-1 in their last 5 games.
Jason’s Pick: With Kobe coming back I think the Lakers will get a huge lift and while L.A. may not win they will definitely cover the 6.5-point spread.
