It will be a showdown between NBA powerhouses and familiar foes when the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs meet again on Tuesday night, this time in San Antonio. They recently met in the NBA Cup semifinals on December 13 in Las Vegas and will meet again on Christmas Day in Oklahoma City.
Let’s get into my Thunder vs. Spurs.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs odds
Money line: Thunder -295 / Spurs +235
Spread: Thunder -7 (-114) / Spurs +7 (-106)
Total: Over 234.5 (-110) / Under 234.5 (-110)
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs best bet #1: Spurs +7 (-106)
The Thunder play the second leg of a back-to-back to host the Jazz on Monday. That — plus their home-and-home series against San Antonio on Tuesday and Thursday — means Oklahoma City plays three games in four days. It wouldn’t be surprising if the defending NBA champions don’t sit out or rest some guys on Tuesday in San Antonio. While this is a big game between the Western Conference juggernauts, it’s OKC’s second game in less than 24 hours and coach Mark Daigneault’s squad would rather beat the Spurs in front of their home fans on Christmas than in San Antonio on Tuesday. While winning both is clearly possible, Thursday is the Thunder’s best spot. Tuesday also marks a rematch of the Thunder’s recent 111-109 victory in the NBA Cup semifinals. The most impressive thing is that San Antonio pulled off a win even though it was Victor Wembanyama’s first game in a month and he only played 21 minutes.
Wembanyama continues to ease back following a calf injury that kept him out for 12 games. He’s listed as day-to-day, but you have to think the 7’4″ Frenchman will fit the bill. Plus, Wembanyama has only played 60 minutes in three games since the NBA Cup finals – and his team was out on Monday. He has every reason to play and play well in this game. The Spurs just got the Thunder out of foul play when Wemba was empty. What’s the best situation for the underdogs now, asking them to they just stay within seven points it shouldn’t be too much.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs best player prop bet: Stephon Castle’s assists Over 5.5 (-130)
No need to overthink this one. Castle is averaging 7.2 assists per game this season and his totals over the past four games are 12, seven, seven, and 11. Not only is the UConn product a big distributor, but he also has a ton of weapons around him that can complement him. Eight players (Castle included) on San Antonio’s roster hit in double figures.
The Spurs are facing a Thunder team that is shooting 64.1 percent of their opponents’ field goals (13th highest in the NBA). OKC could be playing with tired legs, too, which would make San Antonio more inclined to push the pace – thus increasing the total possession value and giving everyone a chance to fill the stat sheet.
