The best current rivalry in basketball will add another chapter when the San Antonio Spurs (27-12) visit the Oklahoma City Thunder (33-7) on Tuesday night. Oklahoma City may be the best team in the NBA, but San Antonio has owned the recent head-to-head matchup. In fact, the underdogs have won all three meetings so far this season.
Let’s dive into my Spurs vs. Thunder predictions.
San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder odds
Money line: Spurs +215 / Thunder -260
Spread: Spurs +7.5 (-110) / Thunder -7.5 (-110)
Total: Over 229.5 (-114) / Under 229.5 (-106)
San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder best bet #1: Spurs +7.5 (-110)
San Antonio’s recent dominance of this matchup makes it by far the most intriguing one in the NBA — and hopefully an eventual Western Conference Finals showdown. The Spurs have defeated the Thunder in three different locations this season: at a neutral site in the NBA Cup semifinals (Las Vegas), in San Antonio, and in Oklahoma City. The last two margins of victory were 20 points and 15 points, further proving that those results were no flukes. Now the bookmakers are asking Oklahoma City to win by at least eight on Tuesday? I don’t think so. Although the Spurs are 4-5 in their last nine games, not once since December 29 have they lost by more than one point with Victor Wembanyama on the floor (he missed a 115-110 loss to the Trail Blazers on January 3).
The Thunder are not exactly on fire, either. Dating back to their NBA Cup semifinal setback against San Antonio, they are a modest 9-6 in their last 15 outings. Despite a current three-game winning streak, OKC is 0-5 ATS in its last five overall and 0-3 ATS in its last three home games. It is also 1-5 ATS in the last six head-to-head meetings with the Spurs. Adding insult to injury (or vice versa), seven-footer Isaiah Hartenstein has missed eight straight contests with a calf problem and is unlikely to play in this one. All the pressure is on Oklahoma City, so San Antonio has a great chance to win yet again. At the very least, the visitors should cover.
San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder best player prop bet: Julian Champagnie Over 11.5 points (-120)
Spurs guard Devin Vassell has missed seven straight games with an adductor injury and will miss this one, too. Fortunately for San Antonio, it has plenty of depth to make up for it. Eight players (Vassell included) are scoring in double-figures — and that includes Champagnie, who is really making the most of his starting role in Vassell’s absence.
The St. John’s product is averaging 17.9 ppg over the past seven games. He has scored at least 12 points in five of the last seven contests. During this stretch, only once has Champagnie scored fewer than 11 points and his lowest output is nine.