The Thunder visit the Spurs on Tuesday! The Spurs have been inconsistent, while the Thunder have been one of the best teams in the NBA. It’s time to continue our NBA odds series with a Thunder-Spurs prediction and pick.
The Thunder have looked great this season. Thanks to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren, they were the best team in the Western Conference last year and are primed to be just as good this year. They are great and should have a massive year. Even with Chet Holmgren getting injured, they have the talent to keep things going.
The Spurs struggled last season and have been inconsistent so far. They were one of the worst teams in the NBA last year but have already looked better this year. They have talent, but they are a very young team still and need to figure it all out because they have so much potential this season, thanks to Victor Wembanyama down low.
Here are the Thunder-Spurs NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Thunder-Spurs Odds
Oklahoma City Thunder: -6.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -275
San Antonio Spurs: +6.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +225
Over: 221.5 (-110)
Under: 221.5 (-110)
How To Watch Thunder vs. Spurs
Time: 9:30 pm ET/6:30 pm PT
TV: TNT/Max
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why the Thunder Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Thunder were great on offense last year. They were third in scoring at 120.1 points per game, third in field goal percentage at 49.9%, and first in three-point percentage at 38.9%. This season, four different Thunder players are averaging over double digits in scoring, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander being a standout with 28.5 points per game. Gilgeous-Alexander also leads the way in assists at 6.3 per game this season. Gilgeous-Alexander is the engine that makes this team go, but Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams are great players in their own right and will be key on offense all season, even with Holmgren’s recent injury. They need to adjust without Holmgren down low, which might make things harder against the Thunder.
The Thunder’s defense was great last year. They were 11th in scoring defense at 112.7 points per game, third in field goal defense at 45.5%, and 12th in three-point defense at 36.1%. Chet Holmgren is key for this team down low on defense because he leads the team in rebounds at 8.7 and in blocks at 2.6. He has been huge, and with him injured, Jalen Williams leads in rebounding at 6.4 per game. Then, in blocks, four players are averaging at least one block per game, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads at 2.6 per game. Then, five players are averaging at least one steal per game, with Williams leading at two per game. This defense is the difference for the Thunder and needs to step up in this game against the Spurs.
Why the Spurs Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Spurs’ offense struggled last season. They were 23rd in scoring at 112.1 points per game, 25th in field goal percentage at 46.2% from the field, and 28th in three-point shooting at 34.7% from behind the arc. Six Spurs are averaging over double digits in scoring, with Victor Wembanyam leading at 22.7 points per game, but he is questionable to play, so with him out, Devin Vassell leads with 16.3 points per game. Then, Chris Paul has been a massive key in helping this offense flow, leading the way in assists at 8.4 per game. The Spurs have a lot of potential on offense and need to do more because they struggled last season. Wembanayama is superhuman, but the pieces around him need to be able to help the offense more, and that starts with Chris Paul and Devin Vassell.
The defense for the Spurs also struggled last season. They allowed 118.6 points per game, 48.7% from the field, and they were awful against the three-point line, allowing 37.3% from behind the arc. Victor Wembanyama is the key down low, and he leads the Spurs in rebounding at 10.5 per game, and then he leads the team in blocks per game at 3.7. If Wembanyama does not play, Jeremy Sochan will be the leading rebounder at 7.7 per game, while Charles Bassey will lead in blocks at 0.6 per game. Finally, four Spurs average at least one steal per game, with Chris Paul leading at 1.4. The Spurs have a chance to be a great defensive team, but the pieces need to fit correctly, and it does not help that Wembanyama is questionable to start in this game.
Final Thunder-Spurs Prediction & Pick
The Thunder are the better team and should cover on the road. The Spurs have been solid, and they look better than last year, but Victor Wembanyama potentially missing this game would hurt them a lot. The Thunder have injuries, too, like Chet Holmgren being out, but they have more depth and should cruise, thanks to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Thunder win and cover on the road.
Final Thunder-Spurs Prediction & Pick: Oklahoma City Thunder: -6.5 (-110)
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