Written by :
Published on :
The San Antonio Spurs host the Los Angeles Lakers tonight at 9:30 EDT on ESPN. This will be the 3rd time this season these 2 Western Conference rivals have faced off. The Spurs are 1 point favorites, with a total of 197 tonight.
Be sure to visit PreGame.com for all the latest odds.
San Antonio has alternated SU wins and losses over their past 4 games after winning 4 straight games. San Antonio is trying to make a run up the Western Conference playoff standings, as they want the best seeding possible. San Antonio would really like to avoid the #8 seed, as they simply don't want to face the Lakers. San Antonio has split the season series 1-1 with the Lakers this season, but have lost 7 of their past 10 games SU overall to the Lakers. San Antonio is 42-27 SU and 36-32-1 ATS overall this season. The Spurs are currently in 6th place in the Western Conference, but are only 3.5 games back of the Mavericks for the Southwest Division lead. San Antonio is 25-10 SU and 20-14-1 ATS at home this season. Today will mark only the 3rd time this season the Spurs have played at home with a spread smaller than -3. The Spurs are 0-6 ATS after a SU win as the listed underdog this season. PG George Hill continues
to shine in Tony Parker's absence, as he scored a career high 27 PTS in his last game. Hill has provided youth and versatility to San Antonio, and he is a strong candidate for the Most Improved Player Award in the NBA this season.
San Antonio is 7-0 ATS in their last 7 games vs. the Western Conference. The UNDER is 5-1 their last 6 home games against a team with a road winning percentage greater than .600. Tony Parker is the only player on the Spurs roster that is currently injured. Parker is expected to miss at least another 2 weeks due to his injured hand.
The Los Angeles Lakers keep winning despite battling injuries up and down their roster. The Lakers have won 6 straight games SU, and are 52-18 SU on the season. The Lakers have the 2nd best record in the entire NBA, trailing only Cleveland. Los Angeles has a 5 game lead over everyone else in the Western Conference, and there is talk of resting some key starters as the regular season winds down. Today's game represents the 1st of 5 road games for the Lakers. The Lakers are 20-13 SU and 14-18-1 ATS in road contests this season. Los Angeles is 3-6 ATS as the listed underdog this season. G Kobe Bryant has 25,612 career PTS, 1 point away from 12th place of all time NBA scorers. Bryant is averaging 27.6 PPG this season, 4th most in the NBA. F Pau Gasol is having an outstanding season, as he is 2nd on the team in PPG and 1st in RPG. Gasol is averaging a double double this season, 17.5 PPG and 11.1 RPG. Defensively, the Lakers have held each of their past 3
opponents under 100 PTS. The Lakers are 5th in the NBA in opposing FG%, allowing opponents to shoot only 44.3% this season.
The Lakers are 4-11-1 ATS in their last 16 games overall. The UNDER is 10-2 in their last 12 games vs. a team with a winning percentage over .600. Center Andrew Bynum is injured again with an injured achilles. There is no specific timetable for his return. Forward Luke Walton is doubtful to play tonight, as he's been battling a back injury that continues to linger.
Pregame.com projects the final score to be 96-94 in favor of the Los Angeles Lakers. The UNDER 197 is the TOTAL of the Day.
