When: Thursday, December 23rd, 2021 at 10:30PM ET.

Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA.

How: NBA League Pass.

Spread: Lakers -1.

Total: 226.

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Spurs Spotlight

The San Antonio Spurs just picked up a nice win over the Los Angeles Clippers as 6-point underdogs, after coming off a rough loss to the Sacramento Kings as 5-point favorites. Offensively on the road, the Spurs rank 10th in points per game, 5th in field goal percentage, and 9th in 3-point shooting. Defensively on the road, the Spurs rank 1st in points allowed, 7th in field goal percentage, 5th in 3-point shooting, and 3rd in rebounding. 

Lakers Spotlight

The Los Angeles Lakers have now lost three-straight games, with their most recent loss coming by the hands of the the Phoenix Suns as 7-point underdogs. Offensively at home, the Lakers rank 17th in points per game, 23rd in field goal percentage, and 15th in 3-point shooting. Defensively at home, the Lakers rank 17th in points allowed, 14th in field goal percentage, 15th in 3-point shooting, and 13th in rebounding. 

Final Say

The Spurs are a solid 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games versus a Western Conference opponent, but they are underdogs more often than not, this game is pretty much a pick’em. They are also just 1-7 SU and 2-6 ATS in their last eight games versus the Lakers. For the Lakers, they have gone 8-1 SU in their last nine meetings with a Southwest division opponent. Also, the Lakers have not lost four in a row all season, which probably has a lot to do with LeBron stepping up in these types of games. 

Pick: Los Angeles Lakers -1