by Chuck Sommers
Saturday, Nov 26, 2022
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Venue: AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX
Where to watch: SPECSN, KENS
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Lakers -3
FanDuel: Lakers -3
BetMGM: Lakers -3
Caesars: Lakers -3.5
Season record
Lakers: 6-11
Spurs: 6-14
What a thrilling start to the NBA season, and it's time to get your picks in for what should be an enticing season. A lot of new faces in new places already making an impact, and our champion handicappers are already starting to take notice. Look at our own Jack Banks off to a 3-0-0 start in the NBA this week. Nelly's Sports is also at 4-0-0 while Jim Feist has also cashed on his first two of the year. As the season progresses, you know we're going to be in a position to deliver you the best analysis and picks that one can have in this market. Make sure you check out our Best Bets page at bigal.com to find all of our handicappers' selections, comprehensive previews, and more!
Lakers - Spurs preview, prediction and analysis
Slowly but surely, the Los Angeles Lakers might be finding their way into a groove. Now that LeBron James is back after missing five games, it only seems right that the Lakers start winning especially given the fact that Anthony Davis has gone into God Mode. After defeating the San Antonio Spurs 105-94 on Friday, the two teams will meet again on Saturday in San Antonio to complete a two game series in the Lone Star State. And if things go the way that they did on Friday, the Lakers will once again be creeping toward a .500 record.
Everything went about as you expected for the Lakers in this game. Davis played 35 minutes and was a very efficient 10 of 13 shooting from the floor to finish with 25 points and 15 rebounds, while also blocking three shots. James returned to his old state of scoring 21 points to go along with eight rebounds and five assists but shot just eight of 17 from the floor and made only one of his four three-point attempts. Lonnie Walker continued his great start with 18 points on 7 of 16 shooting, but that was really all the Lakers needed. Unfortunately the spurs are just not that good of a team and are not going to be good anytime soon.
It's just the way that it is for San Antonio right now. You trade away your All Star point guard and you are left to pick up the scraps and hopefully figure out a way to make your season salvageable in the twilight of Gregg Popovich’s coaching career. All 5 San Antonio starters scored in double figures, which seems to me like a very good sign. Tre Jones led the way with 19 points and also had five assists, and I guarantee you if you look down the entire spurs lineup you'll probably be asking yourself who in the world are these people?
But this is the way that it's going for the spurs right now. We knew at some point that they would try to tank, or at least play somewhat respectfully and still get blown out of the building by 30 points each night, but we all know that the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes is in full swing and if the spurs are able to land another international prodigy to follow in the footsteps of the likes of David Robinson and Tim Duncan, Vince sign me up because I'm here for it.
But this is more about the Lakers and their ability to play extremely well when called upon especially over the last few games. Ever since moving Russell Westbrook to the bench the Lakers have actually had a really serviceable second unit, and it has everything to do with the former MVP leading the charge. He only had three points in 19 minutes on one of seven shooting on Friday night but that's better suited for chalking it up to a bad day at the office. There's no denying that Westbrook has been very good since moving to the bench and now with LeBron fully healthy in the fold, if they can find a way to integrate Westbrook into the starting lineup with Davis and James as a dominant second unit, things are gonna start looking good for the Lakers.
But it is just a reminder that this is exactly why they play 82 games in the season and nothing is ever guaranteed from that standpoint. However given the situation of where both teams are at right now, there's no denying that the Lakers are a very good team. Are they good enough to win two nights in a row in the same city against the same opponent? That I don't know.
Prediction
the way I look at it, it is a very dangerous slope to take the team that won the night before in a two game series. Bye if there's anything that puts the Lakers in their favor, it has everything to do with LeBron. He takes off for five games, takes a long rest break and is back on the court ready to go. I think he has the capability of playing back to that games with no restrictions or anything of the sort. That is why I think the Lakers will win. Lakers by 10
Betting trends
Lakers are 41-56 ATS overall the last two seasons.
Lakers are 20-32 ATS in the first half of the season the last two seasons.
Spurs are 436-361 ATS when revenging a loss since 1996.
Projected starting lineup
Lakers:
PG: Dennis Schroder
SG: Lonnie Walker IV
SF: Troy Brown Jr.
PF: LeBron James
C: Anthony Davis
Spurs:
PG: Tre Jones
SG: Devin Vassell
SF: Keldon Johnson
PF: Jeremy Sochan
C: Jakob Poeltl
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
