The Los Angeles Lakers will take the court on Monday for the first time since the widespread devastation of the California wildfires when the Lakers host the San Antonio Spurs. The Lakers had their first two games of a five-game homestand postponed due to the wildfires, which even destroyed the home of Lakers head coach JJ Reddick. Los Angeles is 20-16 overall and 12-5 at home, while San Antonio is 18-19 overall and 6-11 on the road. The Lakers have won each of their first two meetings this season, both coming in San Antonio, with the Lakers most recently defeating the Spurs, 119-101, on Nov. 27.
Tipoff is set for 10:30 p.m. ET from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif. The Lakers are favored by 3.5 points in the latest Spurs vs. Lakers odds, according to the SportsLine consensus. The over/under is 220.5 points. Before entering any Lakers vs. Spurs picks, you'll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past six-plus seasons. The model enters Week 13 of the 2024-25 NBA season on a sizzling 135-97 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning well over $3,000. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Los Angeles vs. San Antonio. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for the Spurs vs. Lakers:
- Lakers vs. Spurs spread: Lakers -3.5
- Lakers vs. Spurs over/under: 220.5 points
- Lakers vs. Spurs money line: Lakers: -166, Spurs: +135
- SA: The Spurs are 8-3 against the spread (ATS) over their last 11 games
- LAL: The Lakers are 3-1 ATS over their last four home games
- Lakers vs. Spurs picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Lakers vs. Spurs streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why the Spurs can cover
The Spurs had an eight-game streak of covering the spread before their current three-game losing streak, failing to cover the margin in each of those contests. But with a player as dominant and versatile as Victor Wembanyama, a 7-foot-3 center who can dribble, shoot and create while averaging 25.1 points and 10.8 rebounds per game, the Spurs can be competitive in any contest. He has been a force on the glass, averaging 16.3 rebounds over the last four games, and his combination of size and athleticism can challenge even some of the most dominant players in this era in Los Angeles like LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The Spurs won only 22 games in each of the last two seasons, but they are already nearly at that total in an 18-19 start. Along with Wembanyama's play, Devin Vassell is averaging 15.2 ppg as six Spurs players are averaging at least 11 ppg. San Antonio has the 11th-best scoring defense in the paint this season while the Lakers rank 10th in ppg in the paint, so if San Antonio can contain Los Angeles near the basket, the Spurs can finally knock off the Lakers. See which team to pick here.
Why the Lakers can cover
The Lakers haven't played since Jan. 7 due to two postponements from the California wildfires, but that has allowed their veteran squad some time to rest, which could be beneficial on Monday. James (foot) and Davis (foot) are both probable on Monday and are two players you'd think would embrace time off for rest and recovery. James is averaging 23.8 ppg this season, including 26.8 ppg in four January contests, as even at 40 years old, he remains one of the most dominant players in the sport.
Davis leads the Lakers in points (25.8 ppg) and rebounds (11.9 per game) this season and has a double-double in 12 straight games besides when he played seven minutes against the Warriors on Christmas. The Lakers could come out with an emotional effort as well for the fans who show up after such a difficult week in Los Angeles and as we've seen in the postseason and perceived bigger games over his career, James can often elevate his game when he decides to. Monday could be one of those performances. See which team to pick here.
How to make Spurs vs. Lakers picks
The model has simulated Lakers vs. Spurs 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Under and it also says one side of the spread hits almost 60% of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Spurs vs. Lakers, and which side of the spread hits almost 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Lakers vs. Spurs spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is on a 135-97 roll on top-rated NBA picks since last season, and find out.
