San Antonio Spurs at L.A. Lakers Betting Odds


Opening Line: Spurs +6 / Lakers -6 O/U 194.5

Time: 3:30 PM EST Sunday April 4, 2010 on ABC

Today in the City of Angels the defending champion L.A. Lakers host the San Antonio Spurs. The Lakers have the top spot in the West and the Spurs are in the 7th spot tied with the Portland Trailblazers. Unless the Spurs can move ahead of the Blazers in the few remaining games today's match up will be the 1st round match up in the playoffs.

This season the Lakers are a Western Conference best 33-5 at home and 32-42-2 ATS and the Spurs are 18-18 on the road and 39-36 ATS.

Both teams won in their last game on Friday night, as the Spurs looked impressive in beating the Orlando Magic 112-100 and the Lakers beat the Utah Jazz 106-92, which snapped their 2 game losing streak.

The Spurs have lost 4 of their last 5 games against the Lakers and their last 4 in L.A.

The Spurs have won 14 of their last 19 games and that was without star PG Tony Parker in the lineup. Manu Ginobili has really stepped up his game with Parker out averaging 25.1 ppg on 51.7% shooting in his last 14 games and he scored 43 in the win over Orlando on Friday night.

The Lakers have won 7 in a row at home and will get a lift tonight, as they will have Luke Walton back, who has missed the last couple months with a back injury. He is a key player for the Lakers' 2nd unit.

Kobe Bryant (27.2 ppg) is obviously the big gun for the Lakers, but the Spurs have to keep the other Lakers of Pau Gasol (17.5 ppg), Ron Artest (11.2 ppg), and Lamar Odom (10.7 ppg) from having big scoring games.

Gasol and Odom have to man the boards tonight and play solid defense on Tim Duncan (18 ppg 10.2 rpg).

Ginobili (16.4 ppg), Richard Jefferson (12.2 ppg), and George Hill (12.6 ppg) will have to shoot the rock well from the outside, as that will open up the lane for Duncan to operate.

The Lakers had a rough few games a week back because their defense was sub-par, but if the Zen Master Phil Jackson can motivate the Lakers to play good defense it will be very hard for the Spurs to win this game.

Betting Trends

San Antonio is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games, 7-3 ATS in their last 10 road games, 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games as a road underdog, and has an Under record of 8-2-1 in their last 11 games as a road underdog.

L.A. is 2-6-1 ATS in their last 9 home games, 5-12-1 ATS in their last 18 games as a favorite, and has an Under record of 8-2 in their last 10 home games.

In the last 5 games between these 2 teams in L.A. the total has gone Under 5 times.

Our Selection : Take the San Antonio Spurs +6.5 at Bodog one of the best books when you like the underdog.


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